Backslide
by Pixel-0
Summary: An unplanned reunion of the X5s causes things to fall...
1. Out of Hell

Max brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, more for the simple fact of doing so than for beauty reasons

Max brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, more for the simple fact of doing so than for beauty reasons. She sighed as Normal handed her yet another package. He babbled off an address tediously and reminded her to get it back in a quick amount of time. 

"Yeah, I love you too," she bit sarcastically. After wheeling her bike away from the counter, she shoved the package in her backpack and sped away. 

The last couple of weeks hadn't been easy. Zack had come and gone, acting like an insane drill sergeant, more or less. Had to be safe, he kept telling her, had to keep on the move, Lydecker's out there. Yeah, she thought, maybe Lydecker is out there, but I just can't detach myself from everything…everything including Logan. 

Logan. Max instinctively felt her hands go rigid on the rubber handles of her bike. He was irritable and moody lately, not exactly the kind of person you rush to with arms wide open. Yes, he was disappointed over the miracle for him to walk had failed, but that didn't give him any reason to start snapping at everyone like a martinet…especially at Max. Stay low, don't let anyone see you, yet go out and try to save the world for me it seemed like he was constantly telling her. Sure, whatever, she thought, shove it Logan. 

Max hopped off her bike and rapped on the peeling wooden door and glanced around. The neighborhood was no different than her own. Poor and ragged, but humble and with a slight feeling of togetherness brushed about. 

She handed the balding, beer-bellied man who answered the door his package, noticing the TV in the background. Even though it was chipped and broken and the reception incredibly terrible, she could make out the image nonetheless. 

Eyes Only played and Max at first ignored it. Logan was the least of her worries. She began to turn and ride away, back to Jam Pony, when she heard the words, "X-5". Immediately, she turned around and looked up. "Excuse me," she told the startled man as she entered his house. 

The message was choppy and came in clips. Each word was a separate staccato note. The film was fuzzy and Max couldn't be sure if the TV was causing the poor reception or something else. The message played, stating that all those known as "X-5" were to meet downtown. The address was given in a rapid speed so fast that normal humans wouldn't have caught it. An emergency situation had been called and it was of great importance. Max's breath caught in her throat and the man stared at her. "You ok?" She nodded mutely and dashed out of the house and zoomed off. Something was wrong, a whole sense of something being askew...but with what? 

The courtyard of where the meeting was called was large and hollow. The walls were high concrete, decorated in gang graffiti. A single door through which Max had entered was the only way in-and out. 

Her footsteps echoed in the room large enough to fit the entire Jam Pony station and then some. She glanced around the room, a tight knot forming in her throat, and realized she was the only one here. There were bad vibes in the air. Yet, there was an emergency…or so Logan had said. She couldn't leave now. 

Max heard the swoosh of someone moving. She turned and immediately jumped, putting one foot out, ready to kick. The person stared, not flinching and a look of defense clouded their eyes. Slowly, the glaring look softened. "Max?" 

Max relaxed a little upon hearing the kind word, but still was able to pop, like a coiled spring, if needed. She examined the person standing before her and realized whom she was staring at. "Zane? Is that really you?" 

He smiled, smashing the harsh features he had painted on his face. "Yeah, it's me." Max ran to him and threw her arms about him. "God, it's great to see you," he said, stroking her dark curls. 

"You too," she replied and broke away as the door opened. And, like a dripping faucet, the other members of X-5 trickled in. Zack was the last to arrive. 

He, of course, would not let his guard down. Not once acknowledge that he was human that he did have emotions. "Alright," he bit and the people snapped to attention, being the good little soldiers he had taught them to be. Even Max snapped at the whip in his voice. "Who called this meeting?" Nobody knew and nobody answered. 

Suddenly a voice rang out, the echoing creating the illusion of being from heaven. Although, it most certainly would've come from hell. "I did!"   



	2. To Blackness

Backslide

The remaining X-5 looked up to see where the voice had come from. A shadowy figure stood, surrounded by others of the same spawn. Out of nowhere a spotlight appeared, illuminating the gathering cluster of humans below. It snapped on and the searing light blinded Max.   
  
Eyes closed, yet trying to regain control, Max heard the scuttle of feet. When she as able to open her eyes, she saw the rest of her friends blinking, also trying to fight off the bright light. Max found herself opening her eyes to look at Jhondi. Jhondi's eyes were wide and fearful. Although she didn't want to, Max moved her eyes off Jhondi's face and looked around. 

Guns, more than Max could count, were pointing at them, forming a barrier. One twitch or wrong move and easily, a person could be decapitated. A muscle in Zack's cheek was twitching, dark eyebrows knotted together on the bridge of his nose and his entire frame had gone rigid. "Thanks," he hissed angrily to Max. She looked at him, not understanding what she had done to cause this. "Your stupid boyfriend had to set this up-didn't he?" Just as Max was about to protest and say that Logan wouldn't have done something so foolish, another voice was heard. 

The gunmen split and Donald Lydecker stepped through. He stood just enough inside the circle of guns that he was still protected, but could insult the kids and taunt them just the same. "I," he stated almost proudly, "called this meeting." Max wished his head would explode from his massive ego. "It's been a long time," he began with the sense of a grandfather talking to his relatives at a family reunion. "It's been a long time," he repeated, "since we've been together like this. And now," he said, turning away through the black clothed men, "it's time for you to come home." 

With a flourish of his hand, the guns clicked into place. Zack cried out a filthy curse upon Lydecker. It was lost in the fire of guns. Already, five kids were down, their bodies spasming. Max dropped to the ground, resting on her haunches, searching for those that were still alive. Zack was by himself, trying to fight off some soldiers. He was wanted, for he was certainly the most powerful of all of the X-5. A solider was taking aim from behind Zack and he didn't even know it. 

"Zack!" Max screamed, jumping up as her throat burned. "Behind you!" He turned just in time to see the gun angle and blow him in the upper torso. A strangled cry escaped his lips, and he jerked one arm like a broken marionette and slugged the shooter in the head. The man fell. Zack then crumbled to the ground, his puppet strings dropped, as his body shook rapidly. 

"NO!" Max yelled, seeing a nightmare become true. She turned and hurled herself over the heads of the soldiers. They shot, spraying an arc of bullets towards her. In mid-air, her body stiffened and she fell to the hard pavement, causing blood to leak from her knees. Max's head hit and she felt warm liquid dripping through her hair. The world was spinning and she tried to get to Zack. Her body went slack after the fit of convulsions hit her. Everything turned to blackness.


	3. Don't Want to Know

Backslide

When Max awoke, there was a searing pain in her abdomen. Finding that she was lying down, she attempted to rise. The blinding pain forced her to lie back down. Her vision was foggy and she could make out that she was in a cell of some kind. Had to rise, had to get up, mind over matter, mind over matter, she repeated to herself and managed to pull herself up into a sitting position on the side of the hard cot she had lain on.   
  
The room swirled and so did Max's brain. A quick scan of the room told her that she wasn't getting out. The bars on three sides of her cell were made of heavy iron, a good inch in diameter and about four inches apart-just enough for Max to poke her hand through. But, she wouldn't have wanted to. For, around the room ran wires, about a foot apart, with a voltage so high Max could smell the electricity flowing through them and the hairs on the back of her neck prickled. Her cell contained the hard cot upon which she sat and a thing that must've been a toilet. Except it looked some child's prehistoric toilet. Max snorted under her breath, more out of anger than anything, which sent another pain through her body. She winced and waited for the pain to subside. 

There was a noise to her right and stood up, unable to see around the bunk bed, the footboard in her vision. Weakly, she grasped the corner of her bed with white knuckles and was able to support herself as she peered into the next cell. Her vision clearing, she was able to see who it was. 

Zack. 

The fact that he was there gave her a new impetus, a new hope, like the storm clouds had broken and were now raining sunshine down upon her head. Struggling and limping, she hobbled to the bars closest to his cell. His bars were only about a foot from her wall, yet the ominous wires separated them by miles. She grasped the bars, more or less to support herself. The zinging wires were less than four inches from her knuckles now. "Zack," she whispered, her voice strangely raspy. 

He made no move to communicate. He was sitting on his cot and had his head clasped in his hands. "Zack," she repeated, searching for his face under the flop of blond hair. 

"Why are we here? What's happened?" Slowly he looked up, one eye completely covered by hair that was stained red. Max felt a stone drop into the bottomless pit that had become her stomach. He pushed the hair away and tucked it behind his ear. It wasn't for cosmetic reasons, more for safety so that he could see his surroundings. 

"Max," he replied, his voice equally as hoarse. "You don't want to know." 


	4. A Little Late

Backslide

In an instant, Max knew that he knew. He knew why they were here. He knew why her side was screaming. He knew what had happened. Dammit, he knew and wasn't telling her.   
  
She was ready to throw herself against the bars and tell him to snap out of his drugged stupid state when the door to the left of Max's cell opened. Immediately, Max's and Zack's heads snapped in that direction. 

Lydecker came in, closed and locked the door behind him. He strode to the front of their two cells in the small room where they were being kept. He put his thumbs in the back of his pockets and rocked on his heels. Zack attempted to rise, grimaced and fell back down. Although Max was hurting as well, she wasn't about to sit back down. Finally, Zack was able to stand. Max was appalled. Zack weak? Zack giving up or so it seemed? The mere thought of such a thing shocked her.   
  
"A little sore?…Max?…_Zack_?…" Lydecker sneered. Zack, by this time, had trudged to the bars containing him and was glaring out. Max looked towards Zack and noticed for the first time the red marks on his wrists where he had to have been strapped now as he fought. He must've fought hard because the marks showed freshly dried blood. Upon closer inspection, she noticed that there was a pinprick in his hand where a needle had been inserted to sedate him. He was awake before something had been done to him. The same thing that had been done to her. 

Slowly and tentatively, she lifted up the corner of her shirt, just slightly, with leering Lydecker not too far off…couldn't be too careful. She looked down and for the first time noticed the cause of her splitting side. A harsh, red line stretched along the bottom of her stomach. There must've been at least seven stitches. Max didn't bother to count them all. She grasped the bars, letting her shirt fall. "What did you do to us?!" she screamed, her temper suddenly flaring. 

Lydecker looked smug. "Didn't Zack tell you?" 

"I don't know…exactly…" Zack muttered, looking confused as he searched his mind. 

"You have a guess-don't you?" Lydecker mocked that he, Zack, didn't know the answer. 

Zack rubbed the back of his neck, as the muscles in his face twitched from anger. He said no more. 

"Well, I guess since Zack's not going to tell you, I'll have to," Lydecker said to Max. "After all, you do have the right to know what's been done." He paused for dramatic effects. "For ten years, I have been searching for all of you." He sighed. "And by using a simple trick that I was sure you would all see past," he laughed hoarsely as if ready to convey the answer to the joke, "I managed to capture you all." 

"You did that?" Max asked in disbelief that Lydecker had been responsible for the Eyes Only message. 

"Yes, I did. Not that hard to record the video and message, fitting in words where I want them." Max's head was swimming. Lydecker had impersonated Logan. That's why the message had been so terrible-it wasn't an original. "I only have twelve kids here," he continued. "The rest of Manticore technology had to be destroyed." Destroyed. Max felt a lump form in her throat as she realized what that meant. The remaining kids were killed. "Yet, I feel it is time to start anew. And so we shall-" 

"Cut the crap and get to the point," Zack bit. 

"Talking finally-hmmmm?" Well that's good." He stopped, ready to unveil everything. Max was going to strangle him. "Until I am able to rebuild everything that was lost to produce more of my children-" 

"We weren't your children!" Max suddenly spat. "We were never yours!" 

Lydecker rolled his eyes and chewed at the inside of his cheek thoughtfully. "I'm not arguing with you. There's no point when we both know who made you who you are today. 

"Anyhow, to return to the subject of original discussing, I will have more children. So, what do I do when I don't have the needed materials and…for experimentation purposes, more or less? I take some reproductive cells of the strongest surviving Manticore technology. Combine the cells and form a new child." Max felt a pit in her stomach. Zack had turned a sickly shade of gray. He wasn't expecting this. 

"Us?" he asked. Lydecker only nodded smugly. Silently, he turned and left, having delivered the sentence. 

"Damn you Lydecker!" Max screamed. 

"I think," he said half way in the doorway, "I think it's a little late for that." And the door locked behind him. 


	5. Nothing More

Backslide

Fuming, Max thew herself against the bars of her cell. Her body ricocheted off the ringing bars and toppled to the ground. She lay on the ground, staring up at the ceiling, unable to move from the paralyzing pain. Slowly, realizing that she couldn't stay in that helpless position forever, Max rolled over and pushed herself up in a crude push up. She managed to sit and lean against the bars of her cell, facing Zack, but with her back towards the door. 

Zack was pacing and running his hands through his hair every once in awhile. Constantly, he was glancing over at Max, as if checking on her to see if she was ok. Max knew that he was taking the guilt for all of their capture. He felt as though it was his responsibility to protect all of them from Lydecker. It wouldn't happen. Max's and Zack's eyes met and he opened his mouth to say something. 

Just then, five men dressed in black, burst through the door. Wordless, they turned off the electricity and walked into Max's cell. She attempted to scuttle away, but was unable to move fast enough. They handcuffed her hands behind her back and dragged her out on her knees. Her attempt at fighting was incredibly pathetic…even for a normal human. She was screaming. Out of pain. Out of fear of the present…and the future. 

Zack slammed his body against the bars, not hurting as much as she. "Let her go!" he yelled. "Let her go!" Max's face disappeared out of the closing door as he repeated the words again. Angrily, he pounded his fists on the iron bars, pleading with them to break under his blow. This time he fell to the ground. 

He sat on the cold concrete in a poor Indian Style. As Max's screams faded away from the echoing chamber, he gazed down at his split knuckles. And for the first time, he began to cry. His tears mixed with the blood and fell upon his jeans, flowering out on the fabric. Once again he had failed. 

How long passed was unknown to Zack-time no longer held any relevance for him. He had rolled up into a miserable, sulking ball on his hard metal cot and was facing the white washed brick wall. Inside he was hollow and sick. Outside, the blood had dried, but left smears up and down his arms. Nothing mattered. 

The X-5 were gone to him and Max had been taken away. Her screams still haunted him as he imagined what Lydecker had done to her. He shivered and tried to get warm, there was nothing more he could do. 


	6. A Long Time Ago

Backslide

The lights in the room were shut off, indicating nighttime. Lying on his cot, Zack was staring out into an abyss, his mind sailing. He heard the click of a door opening and paid no attention until the pale light from the hallways drained into the room, illuminating it for a moment. 

The door stayed open as a man walked in, carrying a body in his arms. With unexpected tenderness, the body was laid down in the cot in the cell next to Zack's. The other man left and Zack rolled off the cot and scurried to the bars nearest the opposite cell. He knew the wires had been turned on and didn't dare put his hand out. There was a pale light in the room, outlining shadows, but he could still see. That part of Manticore would never leave him-the genetic coding. 

"Max?" he whispered, uncertain that Lydecker really would've let her come back. The body stirred and a twinge of hope surged through Zack. Slowly and obviously painfully, the person moved to the bars closest to his cell. In the pale light he could see that it was Max. Her jeans and T-shirt had been removed to be changed into a faded outfit of their old uniforms. She was a sickly shade of ashen gray and beads of perspiration clung to her forehead, twinkling in the pale light; her eyes were bloodshot and unable to focus on him; and she was shaking slightly, as if she were going start in on a fit of seizures. 

"It's me…" she replied, her voice terribly weak. 

"What'd they do to you?" he asked. They were both sitting by the wall of bars closest to the other. Without the wires, they would've easily been able to reach out and touch one another. 

"Zack…" she began, "I don't know how to say this to you without…without…" she paused, seemingly searching for the right word, "without shocking you." 

"What happened?" he repeated nervously, wondering what they could've done to Max that would affect him. He didn't like the way she looked. Max was usually so strong and now she was like a baby deer, helpless and able to be snatched up any predator. 

"Zack," she paused and licked her lips. "Zack, I'm pregnant... With our child." He was floored. The thought that Max contained a baby that he had no option in creating was mind-boggling and infuriating. Of course it wasn't her fault, but that wasn't the point. A child had been created nonetheless. 

"Ours?" he echoed. She nodded mutely, her black curls bobbing in the blanched light. "You're sure? I mean, what if they were lying to you?" 

She looked away and at the floor. "I saw it. I saw the tiny little creature growing before they sedated me and put it inside. I know it's there. I can feel it." Zack felt sick. He wanted to vomit in some corner far away until his brains blew out. His child. Her child. Their child. 

"Max," he whispered. She turned to look at him. "I'm sorry." 

"What for? Besides, didn't you already know?" 

"No. I awoke as I was being strapped down to an operating table. Hell, I thought Lydecker was going to take my organs and sell them on the market for millions. We're worth that, y'know." 

"A good couple million." 

"Truly, I thought he was going to chop me open and sell my insides. But, when I woke up and found that I was still alive…I wasn't exactly sure what Lydecker had done," he explained. 

"It's not like it's your fault though that this happened." 

"It partially is." 

"It's partially mine too." 

"But mostly Lydecker's." 

"Uh-huh," she agreed. "What are we going to do?" 

"What do you mean?" he asked, slightly confused at the point she was trying to reach. 

"What are we going to do with it?" She shook her head sadly. "I don't remember my mom. All I was was an inferior science experiment…and that's exactly what this baby will be like. Alone and helpless." 

"Yes…" he agreed. 

"Think about it though. The child will be extremely powerful. More powerful than any of us could imagine. It'll have your genes and my genes and Lydecker will most likely do more genetic work on it…if he hasn't already." She sighed and tenderly ran her fingers through her hair. "It can't live, Zack. It'll be nothing but a tool. A nuclear warhead for Lydecker's army." 

"You can't kill it," he argued. "You'll kill yourself." 

"Maybe so, but then…" she faded away and looked away. "It's late and I don't feel good." She laughed hoarsely. "Besides, Lydecker'll be back tomorrow. So, it's probably best that I get to bed." Max struggled to get up and limped to her bed. She had to have been hurting. Just getting back from major surgery and mostly likely not having enough tranquilizers would hurt anybody. "'Night," she whispered and rolled over on her side. 

Zack watched her for sometime more before finally heading over to his cot. He was no longer in much pain. It came as an inkling now and then. After all, he hadn't been the one who had to have his abdomen split open-twice. Soon, he told himself, when Max is strong enough, we'll escape…with the others and destroy Lydecker once and for all, like he should've been a long time ago. 


	7. In Shadowy Sockets

Backslide

The lights flickered on much earlier than either Max or Zack were used to. Zack grunted and held his arm above his eyes, creating a shadow until he could adjust to the piercing light. Max was attempting rise, the tiger in her returning. Zack was partially pleased to see this. Seeing that she hadn't given up after all that had been done to her made him feel better knowing that she was recovering. 

She rose and stared at Zack. "Could you please turn?" 

"Huh?" 

"I don't intend on having you watch me while I use the bathroom, thank you very much." He laughed slightly as if it was funny, crinkling the skin of his cheeks. Max laughed slightly as well. Although what she had said wasn't extremely, or even remotely funny, they laughed nonetheless. 

Max watched Zack closely as she sat down. He had indeed turned away from her and had his arms crossed over his chest. She was surprised he had listened to her. Zack usually only took orders from Zack.   
  
Her pleased feeling turned to disgust as she stood up and attempted to flush the toilet. It gurgled and finally flushed. We've been reduced to prisoners. No privacy and a toilet that works like crap. What next? 

Lydecker couldn't make them become his soldiers again. She wouldn't do it and the chances of Zack marching again for Lydecker weren't good. So, what was Lydecker going to do? Threaten to kill them? No, of course not, neither one of them were going anywhere, for good reasons. Zack was the most powerful of all and in Lydecker's twisted, sick mind, he could be used for producing more children. Max was carrying Lydecker's little key to destroying whatever he saw fit. And both were worth exceptional amounts of money. They wouldn't die. But, there were sentences worse than death, Max thought and realized that she had left Zack standing there, looking like a lost child. 

"Zack," she called, "you can turn around now, nothing bad." 

"That's good," he said and turned, walking towards the wall of bars closest to her cell. They stared at each other for some time. Just staring. They were different now. They certainly weren't kids anymore, and the sexual tension was starting to move in. Max wasn't sure what Zack wanted, heck, she didn't even know what she wanted. 

  
There was always going to be that relative feeling between her and Zack. It just wouldn't go away. Yet, he shared most of her history, whereas Logan didn't. It's not that Logan could help it, he just wasn't there when Lydecker was torturing the kids. 

Max liked Logan, she wouldn't deny it, but she surely wasn't going to tell anybody. Yes, he might get on her nerves and be sometimes just plain arrogant, but that really didn't matter. The chemistry was there. And, this child she was carrying-who would that upset more-Zack or Logan? Logan might try to help. Zack might just leave, like he always did. Or, Logan would become extremely upset with her, even though it wasn't her fault. And, Zack might just stick around. 

Max turned and shook her head, trying to clear it. "You ok?" Zack asked. 

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," she replied, waving him off. The door opened and both Max and Zack looked up, unsure of what to expect. A large number of men came in and turned off the wires. They said nothing to either Max or Zack. In the men's minds, Max and Zack were nothing but animals. They approached Zack's cell, guns drawn and opened the door. 

Zack saw his chance and took it. He pushed and ran as hard and as fast as he could. Leaping over the heads of the men, he kicked three, sending them falling to the ground. He was an excellent fighter and had made it to the door unharmed. Just as he was turning the doorknob, a couple more men approached from behind. They obviously didn't want to shoot him, which would tranquilize him, but if they had to, they would. 

Zack fumbled with the doorknob for only another second and realizing it was locked, stepped back to ram into it, hopefully breaking it down. He had just picked up enough speed when a bullet hit him in the shoulder. Screaming, he jerked awkwardly, but didn't fall. He swung his leg out and tried to kick the door open again. Bullets hit him and accidentally hit Max as well as they bounced off the walls. She toppled to the ground, unconscious, as Zack did as well. 

The men grabbed Zack under his armpits and dragged him out. His eyeballs were still rolling madly in their shadowy sockets as the door closed behind him. 


	8. Like a Ball of Paper

Backslide

Max awoke sometime later with a splitting headache. She moaned and rubbed her temples, trying to urge it away. The last thing she remembered was the tranquilizing bullets raining down on Zack. Her breath caught in her throat. Had he made it? She jumped up and looked into his cell. 

Yes, he was there. "Zack!" she cried, almost a little giddy. He had his back to her and arms crossed. He was angry, it was obvious. Dressed back into the same type of uniform when they were kids, the back of his neck was a violent shade of red. "Zack," she repeated, now uncertain, "what'd they do to you?" 

He turned and she saw the rage boiling in his bloodshot eyes. "They want me to be a soldier…again," he spat. "They tried to put a barcode back on me. Obviously, they didn't have enough ink for _that_." Laughing hoarsely, he continued, "Just because I'm back at Manticore, doesn't mean Manticore has come back to me." 

"They can't make us become soldiers again-" Max began, trying to reason with him. 

"They sure seem to think they can. I left that part of my life eleven years ago. Eleven years ago when I was a child. And, I'm not returning to it!" he cried, starting to become unreasonable. Max shook her head. There was no arguing with him, for he was right, after all. But, he could get himself seriously hurt if he wasn't careful. 

She turned away from him and sat down on the hard bed and rested her head in her hands. "We have to get out," she said more to herself than Zack. 

"A little bit late for that. See? That's the problem. We've escaped once and they're going to be expecting it, so it's going to be double security for us." Neither of them said anymore. Lunch was delivered later. Max, starting to already feel the signs of pregnancy, felt so sick she vomited up all of hers into the toilet. Zack made no move to help her. He was busy muttering to himself in words that Max didn't understand. After that, she rolled over on her cot and drifted in and out of sleep. 

Upon hearing the click of the door opening, she rose and looked up. Lydecker, flanked by other men, walked in. "Time for training-or retraining, should I call it?" he sneered. 

"I don't think so," Zack bit back. 

  
"No, this time you don't get a choice. No more choices. It's time to march." 

"I'd rather die." 

"There are fates worth than death-you know that don't you?" 

"Then so be it." 

"No," Lydecker shook his finger like he was disciplining a child. "You're going to march. Or else." 

"Or else what? You make me march, I'll die. Simple as that." 

"Have it your way. Guards?" Lydecker raised a hand. Twenty-five guns centered on Zack and clicked into place. Although he wasn't afraid, Max saw the wheels in his head turning. He had a plan. She saw a slight grin come over him and disappear as quickly as it had come. 

"Wait!" Zack cried, pretending to be afraid. "I'll march." 

"Well, that's good news," Lydecker said, pleased. He looked at Max. "And how about you?" She looked at Zack and he gave a slight nod. Just barely, but it was a nod. 

"I'll come." 

"Fine, unlock their cells." The cells were unlocked and Max and Zack left. A gun was centered on their heads. One shot and they wouldn't have a brain. Lydecker led, followed by Max, and followed by Zack. He led them out into a big arena area. The rest of the kids were already there. They were all miserable looking. Wearing similar uniforms to Max and Zack, some already had their hair shaven. Max was tempted to reach up and touch her own. She felt burning tears come to her eyes as she stared at Tinga's shaven hair. 

"Alright!" Lydecker called. "Let's see how much you remember!" He gave a couple hand signals and slowly the kids fell into two parallel lines. The others glanced at Zack, their true leader, and noticing his obedience copied. Just as Lydecker was getting cocky from having his kids behave, Zack struck. 

He literally flew up in the air and came down, kicking at the guards. "Get them!" he yelled to the others. There was no hesitation. 

Lydecker, seeing his plan fail, scrambled inside and called out more guards. Max ran up to him and kneed him in the stomach as he turned back around, waiting for the rest of the troops. He dropped to his knees, clutching at his stomach and gasping for air. "That, is for capturing us," she told him. Another swift kick into his chest. "That was for creating the child. And this," she cried, "is for thinking we would be your kids again!" In one fluid movement, she slugged Lydecker in the head so hard she heard her knuckles crack. Lydecker crumpled to the ground like a ball of paper and didn't move. 


	9. Killing Machines

Backslide

Unfortunately, more soldiers came out, having been called by Lydecker before Max got to him, and gunned down the kids. The kids all fell like birds with broken wings, having concentrated too much on the earlier men. 

A guard knelt down by Lydecker and pulled him up, gently shaking him to revive the unconscious Lydecker. "Sir? You ok?" 

"Get me a doctor, now. And lock those kids up…" he gasped just before he lost consciousness again, "…and throw away the key." 

Max awoke back in her cell, much to her dismay and obviously Zack's. He was cursing and pounding and kicking the cell bars. "We almost had them!" he was yelling at himself. "Almost!" He kicked the cell bars again and the sound rang throughout the small room. Looking up, he saw Max staring at him, confused, "But almost doesn't cut it," he said in an eerily monotone voice. 

"We're gonna get out of here," she assured him. 

"When, Max?! When?!" he snapped, fuming. "We're not escaping from these bars! We're nothing but animals to them! Hell, they have to shoot at us just to make us do what they want! They can't even get close enough to touch us! Animals! Freaking animals!" he raged. 

"But-" she began. 

"I don't want to die in here when I'm an old man! I refuse to! And I am not going to become their toy!" he yelled, spit flying from his twisted lips. Max turned away from him. He was irrational and not thinking, blinded by rage and hatred. She sighed and leaned her head up against the bars furthest from him, looking at the door to freedom. Then, she saw shadows outside the door. 

Zack had stopped his ranting and raving long enough to pause and for Max hear that they were talking. "Shhh…" she told Zack just as he was about to go into another fit, "Lydecker's out there with some other guy." 

"Big deal-" 

"No…I think it is a big deal." She listened closely, unable to hear the other person speaking, and only catching snippets of Lydecker's words. 

"….yes, I'm doing much better, thank you….no amount could ever equal….really? that much?…..come, let's go into my office…." 

"So?" Zack asked, not turning his head, but moving his eyes to focus on her, unable to hear as much as Max did because he was further away. 

"I'm not sure. I couldn't hear too much." Zack groaned, annoyed and sat back down on his cot. A couple minutes went by before the door opened fully. Lydecker limped in, obviously hurting, but damned if he was going to show it to those that had hurt him. A dark bruise had swollen on the right side of his head nearest his temple. A couple men followed behind him. 

"Alright," he commanded, "you know what to do," he told the men and left. Immediately, the men began to shoot at Zack and Max. They both attempted to dodge the tranquilizer bullets that flew at them. But, they were in a small cell and didn't have much room to run. Eventually, they were both down. They were gagged, blindfolded, and bound hand and foot. The men dragged the two unconscious kids out into the hallway. 

"Well?" Lydecker asked the other person, "you got some vehicle to take them?" 

"Yeah, put 'em in my car out back. I'll drive a bit and then hand them over to my man who's waiting for them." 

"Good," he turned to the guards. "Tie them up real good in the back. So, what are you planning to use them for?" The other man simply laughed rather evilly and shook his head, not telling. He had his own uses in mind for two genetically engineered killing machines.


	10. 

Backslide

The first thing Max noticed when she regained consciousness was that she was blindfolded. Unable to see, she didn't know what had happened. But, being bumped and pushed along in a car was obvious. She was being transported. 

Was Zack with her? For, he too had been gunned down. She tried to move to reach him, but was unable. Fervently, she tugged at the binds holding her and found them to be rather strong. Cursing under her breath, she realized that she was just going to have to wait until they arrived at wherever this person was taking them. 

Some time later, the car stopped and a door was opened in front of her. The ties connecting her to the seat were removed and she tried to kick herself free. Unfortunately, she still had ropes on her wrists and ankles. And, being blindfolded, gagged, and drugged didn't help things any. A pair of strong arms picked her up and began to carry her. No matter how much she fought, the person still carried her. Still fighting, she was laid down upon a hard floor. She kicked and thrashed, trying to move away. "Whoa, whoa, whoa," a voice said. It sounded kind, but gargled because of the drugs Max had been given. She stopped moving. 

Her ties were undone, her gag removed and finally her blindfold taken away. She found herself staring directly at wood floor. Raising herself in a crude push-up, she looked up to see the person who had taken her. Horrors upon horrors entered her mind right before she could see and wondering who had brought her here. A face entered her view. 

Logan. 

"Oh my God…" she trembled, close to tears from happiness.   
  
"Welcome back," he said with a smile. Immediately, she rushed towards him, in his wheelchair. She slid across the floor on her knees and wrapped her arms around him. He was warm in Max's clutch and ran his fingers through her hair. 

"Please tell me this isn't a dream," she said. 

"It's not a dream…Look," he pointed in front of him. Max turned and saw Bling untying Zack. Zack was still unconscious.   
  
"Hello Max," Bling said to her. 

"Hello too," she replied, being polite and turned back to Logan. "How did you get us? Why-" she began, ready with a flurry of questions and there was a groan from behind her. 

Zack rubbed at his eyes and immediately tensed upon sensing his freed bonds. He rose slowly, gripping the side of the couch, due to the drugs and then saw Max. A nasty bruise was forming by his left eyebrow where Max figured he probably hit the ground when he fell. His eyes were glazed with a haunted look about them. 

"Zack!" she cried, "we're free!" He was shocked, it was obvious and glanced around the room, but seeing Max and Logan, meant safety. Mutely, Zack nodded towards her and walked out of the room.   
  
"Well…" Logan began and wheeled himself over to his computer in the next room. He started to type feverishly and window popped up on the screen. "To answer your earlier question, I knew something was up when you didn't call or stop in," he explained to Max. "I headed over to Jam Pony because I couldn't reach you on your pager. So, after Original Cindy explained to me about the Eyes Only message that might have something to do with you, I checked it out. Sure enough, Lydecker had planted his own Eyes Only message and I knew that you had probably been captured." 

"But how'd you find us?" Max asked. 

"Ah, now that was something tricky. I figured that if Lydecker took you, he'd give you new clothes," he turned, eyeing her, "and so he did." 

"Yeah, the latest fashion craze," Max replied sarcastically. 

"Your pager was disposed of in back garbage receptacle. I found the signal for that because Lydecker wasn't smart enough to turn it off. After tracing the signal it was giving off, I found the building where you were being kept." 

"Which was which?" Zack said, stepping in from behind Max. Logan paused upon noticing Zack, but answered the question anyhow. 

"Amazingly, it was one of the original Manticore buildings. Apparently, there were a couple buildings built outside of the Wyoming base. So, I bought you both off of Lydecker. Not exactly easy though, had to argue with the guy _a lot_. But, money is his weakness and just enough made him give you two up," Logan replied and turned back to the computer. 

"Why both?" Max asked. 

"I just wanted to keep you safe, but I figured that Zack contained a lot of useful information that could help the other kids escape," Logan explained and paused as a piece of paper printed out. He continued typing. "I'm just glad that you're both okay. I mean, you look pretty good for being with Lydecker for about two days." 

Max looked at Zack nervously. He shrugged absentmindedly. Then, he paused and mouthed the words, "It's up to you." Better tell him, Max figured. Logan continued to type, unaware. "Uh…Logan?" Max asked, "There is a problem."   



	11. 

Backslide

"What?" he asked and glanced to her, then back at the screen. 

"Logan…" she paused, sighed deeply, twisting her fingers, and continued, "Logan, I'm pregnant." The fingers stopped typing and he didn't look away from the screen. A thousand images flashed into his mind, everything from a seductive lover to a vicious rape, all images that were better of gone. 

"Whose is it?" he asked numbly, his tongue feeling incredibly thick and heavy inside his mouth. 

"Logan…" she protested, "it's doesn't matter. I just have to find a way to get rid of the baby-" 

"No, who's the father?" There was a long pause. A very long pause and slowly Logan began to turn around. 

"I am," Zack finally said. This caused Logan to literally whip around in his chair so fast it seemed as though his head would fly right off his neck. 

"You?" 

"Look, it's not what you think," Max said, rising to defend Zack. "Lydecker combined our reproductive cells to form this child and then he put it inside me. We didn't have any say at all." 

"You're rather important to Lydecker, then, aren't you?" Logan asked her. She nodded blankly. "Well…I guess it's better that you get out the country while you still can," he told them and reached for the freshly printed paper.   
  
"What about you?" she asked. 

"I'll be fine." 

"Logan, I-" 

"Max," he protested, "you can't stay here anymore. It's not just your life anymore. It's also your child's." 

"But I don't want a child!" she cried. And, furiously, she burst out of the room and dashed out of Logan's apartment. 

"Nice job," Zack bit. Logan rolled his eyes and went back to his computer work. She would come back, she always did.   
  
Zack followed Max without much trouble. She was hard to miss and was beginning to leave a slight scent about her, due to the hormones starting up for the baby. This worried him, because she could possibly be traceable. He would have to talk to her about that. Lydecker would be looking for any way to get to her that he could. 

Zack climbed up a flight of ladders, up to the Space Needle, where she sat, looking out over the city. "I'm sorry," she apologized without turning around upon hearing his shoes ring on the metal beneath. 

"No, it's not a big deal." 

"Yeah, actually it is," she replied. "I just don't know what to do anymore. I can't kill this child and I can't let it live." She rested her hand on her stomach. Zack sat down by her and glanced across the vast city of twinkling lights. She turned to look at him. "We escaped-didn't we?" she said with a wry smile. 

"Yes, yes we did." 

"And we'll get the others out-won't we?" 

"Yes, we'll get the others out and destroy Lydecker-" 

"-once and for all," she finished for him. He grinned. 

"But not today." 

She shook her head, "No not today. Tomorrow perhaps." 

"They'll be free soon."   
  
Max to herself:   
_I'm coming for you guys, don't think I've forgotten already. How could I? If I haven't forgotten in eleven years, I don't think an eternity without you will erase you any easier. You're etched into my heart, my soul, my very being. Just keep brave. I'm coming. _


	12. 

Backslide

Max awoke to find herself staring up at the pink cotton candy sky with the rising sun peeking over the buildings of the city. It was barely sunrise, but she had slept most of the night up on the Space Needle. 

Zack, surprisingly, had stayed with her throughout the night. He wasn't awake yet and had his sleeping head resting on his knees, drawn up to his chest. His Manticore uniform was torn, most likely from fighting with Lydecker and climbing up to the Space Needle. He sighed heavily, turned his head to face Max and continued to sleep.   
  
In sleep, the harsh mask he wore was gone. He actually looked…peaceful. Like he could actually be a normal person who had just stayed out late, instead of fighting off men who wanted him as a killing machine. 

Max sat up and stretched her arms out. Below, far below, a few lights were twinkling on and a couple cars headed down the street. She was cold in her thin uniform and rubbed at her arms furiously, trying to ease the goosebumps away. 

Her thoughts drifted and she realized that she had to come to a decision about the child. To have or not to have, that is the question, she thought somewhat bitterly to herself. Aborting the child would mean it would never have to live the life she did; never have to run from Lydecker; and never be used in his army. But, if it stayed, it might be able to help her as it got older, and besides, she didn't know how truly right it was to just abort something like this. She pressed her cold hand to her stomach and inhaled deeply. Decisions, decisions. 

Zack stirred, but Max didn't notice until he had scooted down beside her. Rubbing sleep out of his eyes, he had obviously just woken up about a second ago. "Good morning," he told her, his voice still thick from sleep. 

"You too," she replied and looked at him. One of his eyes was almost entirely black and blue where he had fallen the previous night. The other eye stared at her, seemingly trying to reach her soul. "I thought you didn't sleep," she joked. 

He shrugged, not liking to admit mistakes. "Consider it a moment of weakness." 

"Yeah, well, at least we're safe now." 

"Not really." 

"Will we ever be?" she asked, a slight smile tugging at the corners of his lips. 

"Until Lydecker's dead…no." The conversation dropped and they both stared out at the city far below. Far beyond, the glittering water was able to catch the first rays of sun. Shadows began to rise as the sun cast its light down upon the buildings. 

"Another new day," Max said more to herself than Zack.   
  
"And?" 

"And we're still alive," she replied, turning to look at him as her black curls tumbled down around her face. "Better than I could've hoped for yesterday." 

"Max, yesterday's gone, don't worry 'bout it," he told her.   
  
"If only it were that simple." 

Zack moved in closer to her until their hips were touching as both stared out ahead. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. She found herself laying her arm across his back as well. His body was warm against Max's own cold body, and she pulled him closer. "It is that simple," he told her. 


	13. 

Backslide

Eventually, Max and Zack got down from the Space Needle, and Max called Logan on a pay phone nearby. She clutched the receiver tightly, her eyes darting around, worried almost, as Zack kept glancing about for Lydecker or his men. 

A breathless Logan answered the phone. "Hello?" he gasped somewhat. 

"Logan? You ok?" 

"Max! God, it's good to finally hear from you. Where have you been?" 

She paused and bit her lip. "Out…with…uh…Kendra…celebrating. I haven't seen her in awhile, y'know." 

"Kendra?" Max heard the doubt in his voice, but he didn't question it. "Well, as long as you're ok." 

"I'm fine Logan. Better than fine actually, I'm outta Manticore." 

"You're welcome," he replied curtly with a little laugh.   
  
"Oh, sorry, thanks, by the way." She turned and adjusted the phone, "Look, I'm headin' back over to my apartment. I'll give you a call…say…by noon? And if I don't, then you can start worrying." 

He laughed. "You don't have to call me, Max." 

"Yes, or else you'll get all upset." 

"Talk to you later," he laughed. 

"Yeah, same here." She hung up the phone with a click. 

"Well?" Zack asked impatiently. 

"C'mon we need to get to my apartment and get some new clothes. Hello? We're only advertising the fact that we're part of Manticore." They turned and hurried down the street, praying that Lydecker wouldn't be out this early. 

Fortunately, Lydecker wasn't out, and if he was, they weren't caught. They scuttled up the rickety steps in the apartment building, not avoiding a couple stares from some of the neighbors. Max waved as politely as one could when dressed in a pair of sweats and looking like death warmed over. 

Max knocked hurriedly on the door of the apartment, knowing it was locked, and waited impatiently for Original Cindy to answer. "C'mon, c'mon," she muttered to herself. Zack was glancing all about, tensed and ready to spring if necessary. Finally, after a seemingly eternity, the door opened and a sleepy-eyed Cindy answered. 

"Yeah? Whatcha want?" she yawned, rubbing sleep out of her eyes, not noticing it was Max. 

"Can I come in?" Max questioned. "Or am I just going to be hanging out in the hallway the whole day?" 

Cindy's eyes snapped open at hearing Max's voice. "Boo!" she cried happily and wrapped her arms around Max's neck. "Yeah, you can come in. Wait a minute, who is this?" she asked, pointing to Zack as he stood frozen in the doorway. 

"A friend," Max replied and closed the door behind them. "Go check in my room," she told Zack, pointing towards her room, "I think Kendra's guy might've left something here that you could wear...besides those things." He glanced back at Original Cindy, as if checking that Max was going to be okay, and turned, leaving the room. 

"Damn girl. Guys like those make a girl wonder which way they should be swingin'. Alright, where'd ya meet 'im?" 

Max rolled her eyes. "He's not my boyfriend." 

"Uh-huh. And you'd just happenin' to be escorting a guy so fine that even Original Cindy got to question her ladies? Sugar, I don't think so." 

Max sat down on the couch next to her friend. "You remember that I told you about the stuff that happened to me in the past?" 

"Uh-huh," Original Cindy replied, adjusting herself on the couch to face Max. This was getting interesting. 

"You got to promise not to tell anyone…" 

"Tell anyone what?" 

Max sighed, not sure whether or not to tell her best friend about Zack. But, then again, Cindy did have a right to know if Zack planned on staying. "He's like me," Max whispered in a voice so soft she could barely hear herself. Cindy's eyes grew wide and she smacked her lips together. 

"You sure?" 

"Yes, I'm very sure." 

"What's his name 'gain?" Cindy asked. 

"It's Zack," he replied stepping out of the room. He leaned against the wall, dressed in a baggy black sweater, and faded blue jeans that were stretched out in all the wrong places and hung clumsily on him. Having no other shoes, he still wore the heavy combat boots that he had received at Manticore. Still, he made for very good "eye candy", nonetheless. 


	14. 

Backslide

Cindy whistled, obviously impressed, and stood. She walked over to him, strutting as usual, Max noticed. "So, you plannin' to stay here or what?" Cindy asked Zack. He straightened himself against the wall, and glanced at Max, looking for affirmation. She shrugged.   
  
"I'll see," he replied. He walked over to Max, gently pushing past Original Cindy and crouched down next to Max, looking up at her. "We gotta talk," he whispered to her. 

"Uh…Zack, she knows," Max told him, referring to 'she' as Original Cindy. His eyes widened. 

"You told her?" he asked, his voice barely a hiss with surprise invading in.

"I had to. There were some other people after me and it was just getting crazy and," she sighed and combed her fingers through her dark curls, "We'll talk about that later-okay? But, what else do you need to talk to me about?" 

"The…well…" he glanced back at Original Cindy who immediately looked away and starting humming, pretending not to be interested. "The baby," he said, lowering his voice a decibel. 

Max grimaced. "This really isn't the time to be having this conversation." Zack stood and ran his fingers through his blond hair, clasping his hands in his head like it was going to roll off his shoulders.   
  
"You're right. Some other time." The phone shrilly rang and Cindy ran to get it in the other room. She was heard mumbling before she called for Max. 

"Just a sec, I'll be right back," she told Zack and headed out to retrieve the phone from Cindy. 

"Hello?" she said into the phone after Original Cindy gave it to her. 

"Max? Yeah, it's Logan." 

"Logan?" she asked, a little surprised that he would actually call instead of paging her like he always did. 

"There's been a slight problem. Well, actually there is a rather big problem." 

"And that would be?" 

"You haven't looked out your window lately, have you?" 

"No. I'm not one for admiring the scenery of garbage outside," she said sarcastically.   
  
"Please do that then," he told her. Max rested the phone on the counter and walked over the window and parted the curtains. Below her, Lydecker's men ran like little black ants. They were constantly stopping people and checking to see if they had a bar code. Lydecker could be seen sitting comfortably in his Jeep. Max gasped and hurried back to the phone. 

"You still there?" she asked. 

"Yes. I take it that you've seen the display around town." 

"Uh-huh," she answered. "Not exactly what I like to wake up to every morning." 

"Probably best if you stay inside and keep safe. I doubt that they're going to go through apartments. Looks like Lydecker got the word that you guys aren't being used for typical soldier work. He's probably thinking that both you and Zack are on the move. He'll be checking cars and streets, stuff like that." 

"What if he does decide to move up to apartments and buildings?" There was a long pause and Max could only hear the moaning dial tone. She opened her mouth to speak again, but Logan spoke first. 

"That could become a problem. Do you want to stay with me?" he offered, trying to be helpful. 

"No, it'll be best if I just wait it out, I guess. I don't like the idea of it, but staying with Lydecker isn't much better," she told him, realizing that Logan didn't know that Zack was with her. 

"True." 

"Talk to you later, Logan," she said. 

  
"Yep." She hung up the phone on the wall and laid her head against the wall. Zack stood up and walked towards her, hands across his chest. 

"You ok?" he asked, obviously worried. 

"Could be better. Just found out that Lydecker's searching the streets and cars for us." 

"Great," he bit. 

"Yeah, we're not going anywhere for awhile." 

"We can't just stay up here. We gotta keep on the move." 

"He'll kill us if we leave, or put us back in those cells." Max shivered instinctively remembering how awful it had been. Her comment seemed to hit a nerve in Zack and he nodded reluctantly. 

"We'll stay for awhile. Not long though. They're bound to come and looking for us up here." 

"Agreed," she told him. 


	15. 

Backslide

Max paused and found herself admiring Zack as he leaned casually against a peeling wall. Everything about him, his looks-even if they were genetically engineered, the power he held so tightly in his fist that would occasionally slip out between the cracks of his fingers, his personality…just everything.   
  
"You ok?" he asked, noticing her distraction and interrupting her thoughts. 

"Oh," she said, and found herself burning from embarrassment. "Yeah, I'm fine." He eyed her suspiciously but didn't say anything. 

"Max," he began, but ended abruptly as Original Cindy burst into the kitchen area. 

"Boo, I'm gonna head down to work, what'd you want me to tell Normal?" she asked, stretching out Normal's name like silly putty. 

"I got a really bad case of food poisoning." 

"Food poisonin'? Girl, I think you got something else, but Original Cindy looks out for her homegirls no matta what. So, you take care of yourself." She turned to leave, paused and turned back around. "Look, I'm probably gonna be out late. If things go right, Original Cindy may have a new girl in town." 

"Till when?" Max questioned. 

"Dunno. But don't stay and worry 'bout me, 'cause Original Cindy can take care of herself," she said and strutted off. Max laughed and waved to her as Cindy left. 

Max strode out of the kitchen area and into her room. Zack followed and leaned in the doorway as she picked up. "So, how long have you known…Original Cindy?" he asked, seemingly trying out the name in his vocabulary. 

"A while now. She's not that bad once you get to know her." She glanced over at Zack who had raised an eyebrow. "Seriously." 

"Uh-huh." Max folded a pair of pants and shoved them in her dresser drawer. 

"So, are we just going to hang around here all day?" 

"Guess so, unless we want to end up becoming gerbils for Lydecker." 

"You're right," she agreed, bending down to pick up a sock that had found its way under her bed. "So…what do you want to do?"   
  
He shrugged, "I don't care. Doesn't matter." Max sniffed at the sock and grimaced. 

"Ugh, this one's dirty." 

"Huh?" 

"Oh, never mind. Look, if you want to crash in here, go ahead, I'm gonna see what we have for lunch." She walked past him and into the kitchen area and opened the refrigerator.


	16. 

Backslide

"You want something?" she asked. He shook his head, merely watching. 

"Well, ok, but I'm going to get something to eat-I'm starving! Let's see what we got here…" she said to herself, bending down to check out the food inventory. She pulled out a jar of jelly. "Definitely got to go shopping. No bread. And no peanut butter, but I'm still eating it, considering the rest of the stuff in this 'fridge sucks." 

"You're going to eat it plain?" he asked in disbelief. 

"Sure, why not? I'm hungry and this is all there is to eat besides crap," Max reasoned, setting the jar down on the counter and pulling out a white plastic spoon. "You sure you don't want some?" 

"Just a spoonful, I guess." Max pulled out another spoon and dipped it into the strawberry jelly and handed it to Zack. He looked at curiously. "Looks like the swamp thing," he commented. 

"Oh, c'mon, it doesn't look that bad," she laughed, swallowing a spoonful. 

Tentatively, he put the spoon in his mouth and swallowed. 

"Well?" she asked, grinning. 

"It's ok." 

"Well, it's certainly not caviar and brandy, but it's not bad," she joked, retrieving more from the jar. 

"Ok," he admitted, "it's pretty good." He reached over from opposite her, and dipped the spoon back in the jar between them. 

"Ah, so you do like it!" 

"Never said that, it's just pretty good." 

"Oh, that's right," she laughed. There were a couple silent minutes as they stood, eating out of the jelly jar. Zack actually seemed to be enjoying himself, but he still was so serious. He always wore such a serious mask that it disturbed Max slightly. 

As she was raising her spoon to her mouth, a blob of jelly accidentally fell off her spoon and onto his sleeve. 

"Hey!" he cried, surprised. 

"Oops," she said, "sorry, 'bout that." 

"Sure…" he replied, but not angrily. The next thing Max knew a clump of jelly had landed on her shirt. Zack was looking away, pretending not to be guilty. 

"Ah!" she cried. "So? You want to play?" She dipped the spoon in and flung a chunk at Zack. Smack! A blob of jelly oozed down Zack's chin. He slapped it away and Max ducked just another chunk went flying over her head. She scuttled around the bottom of the counter and peeked out. Suddenly, red stickiness formed on Max's thigh. 

She heard Zack laughing, but couldn't see him. Reaching up to get more jelly, she loaded the spoon and jumped around a corner, hitting Zack square in the chest. "Gotcha!" she cried impishly. He was armed and sent another blob flying at her. 

Soon, blobs of jelly were flying rapidly across the room, filled with laughter. Max screamed jokingly as another gooey glob hit her. They darted around the countertop, trying to avoid each other, yet not get hit. She dashed out of the way as another clump came at her, and slipped on a seemingly innocent blob. Rubbing her sticky hair out of her eyes, she hurried back over to the almost empty jar. Suddenly, Zack jumped up on the opposite side, his blond hair pink from the jelly. "Aha!" he yelled, victorious 

"Wait, wait!" she cried jokingly. "Truce?"   
  
He laughed, a true laugh that Max didn't remember ever hearing in him before. Walking around to the edge of the counter, she followed so that they stood, facing each other. "Truce," he agreed. 

Tenderly, he wiped Max's sticky hair off her face and brought it back behind her neck. He had a glob of jelly hanging from his earlobe and his face was smeared pink. They looked awful, and Max knew it, but refused to care about that. 

Zack was staring at her. "Thanks," he said. 

"For what?" 

"For everything, Max." He bent down suddenly and their sticky noses touched. Their hot breath poured out upon each other, melting the jelly and the eyes met, questioning almost. Zack moved in suddenly. He kissed her zealously, like it was what he had spent every night dreaming about. She stiffened under the gesture, but found herself giving in to him. His sticky hand found its way around the back of her neck and she draped her arm over his shoulder. Max secretly prayed it would never end-wasn't this what she always wanted? It didn't matter anyhow, she couldn't have gone back if she wanted to. For she was already drowning in the ocean of that sweet flavor. 


	17. 

Backslide

Max rinsed off her hands one last time before drying them on the thin towel that laid casually on the counter by the sink, listening to the quietness of the apartment. Zack, in the bathtub, was as silent as the wind, and she wasn't even sure how he could be so silent. It was nearly humanly impossible. But then, she thought with a little bit of sarcasm, we aren't exactly humans-are we? She walked slowly over to the couch and sat down carefully, trying not to spread the sticky jam around the entire house.   
  
Her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and feelings. It wasn't that she was against Zack, and what he had initiated, but still… There were so many more issues than them together. For starters, there was Logan. She couldn't forget him, but she surely couldn't be so giving of herself as she had been doing. He, of course, would notice, question, and she would either storm out or spill the beans, causing Zack to leave. Neither of which she wanted. Then, there was the baby. The baby. Max's mind abruptly stopped and zoomed in on the thought of that. She was definitely going to have to talk to Zack about that. After all, it was his child as well-whether he wanted it to be or not. 

The door to the bathroom clicked and Max looked up, forcing herself to snap out of the daydreams. The door swung open, and Zack walked out, casually almost. Max refused to believe this, for he was always on guard. He was patting down his face with the black sweater and Max couldn't exactly tell if he was wearing anything besides the jeans. He pulled the sweater away. He wasn't wearing anything else. 

Max felt her needed oxygen clench somewhere in her lungs. She had to concentrate to get breathing again. Zack stood before her, staring, slightly confused. The faded jeans he wore, being far too big, hung sloppily on his hips, falling below the normal line of jeans. He clutched the dirty black boots in his left hand-the shoelaces tied together. The black sweater was balled up in his right hand, slightly wet and dripping. Bare-chested, his finely toned muscles were still slightly wet, and glistened with water. 

"Max? Are you okay?" he asked her. 

"Yeah," she replied dumbly. Don't look at his chest, she told herself. Don't look at it. He noticed her staring stupidly at him and held out the shirt like he was a kid who had just got caught robbing the cookie jar. 

"Hey, sorry 'bout the shirt. There wasn't exactly any towels in there, so I figured that this would work. I mean, it's not exactly the best thing to use, but I didn't want to walk around, making puddles about your house." 

"Oh, it's okay," she replied, fully coming out of her dazed state. "There's probably another shirt around here…somewhere." She rose and walked towards the bathroom door, ready to fully wash the sticky jelly off of herself. Zack didn't move, he just stood, slightly to the side, watching her as she entered the bathroom. "I'm a big girl," she said to him, "I can take a bath by myself." 

"I'd certainly hope so." He stepped slightly out of the way, but not enough, for Max bumped against him as she walked into the bathroom. Neither person apologized, and Max slowly closed the door behind her. 

Once inside the bathroom, she leaned against the rickety door, begging it for support that she could not find within herself. Of all the people! Zack! Just calm down, she told herself, it's not like anything happened. Anything happened?! Am I crazy? She took a deep breath and shrugged off her shirt and dropped it on the bathroom counter. Just get a bath and perhaps you'll feel better, she thought. 

Max entered the lukewarm water cautiously, like a sea monster was going to come and bite off her toes. Sitting in the water, did help her to feel better, but still, the memories wouldn't go away. Why was Zack staying with her? He was the one always against her stationary positions. And now, look who's eating his words. Did he feel some sort of guilt about the child? Or was he just being overly protective, since the rest of the kids were with Lydecker? With Zack, who knows… 

Fully cleaned of the sticky jelly, Max found a towel shoved in the back part of a drawer that Zack wouldn't have checked. She dried herself and threw on a new pair of clothes that she had previously laid out. Zipping up the black jeans, she opened the door and walked out of the bathroom. 

The house was deathly quiet and at first Max wasn't worried-Zack was always quiet. It wasn't like him to be noisy. But, when she called his name and nobody answered and she heard absolutely nothing, Max began to worry. Images of Lydecker flooded her skull. That wasn't possible of course, there would have been enough noise that she would've heard _something_. After all, it had been entirely quiet during the time she was in the bathtub. 

Max walked around the counter, quickly scanning for any trace of Zack. She called his name again, and only the gentle breezes outside answered her. "Zack? This isn't funny anymore. C'mon, where are you?" She stopped upon passing her Ninja while circling the tiny apartment. 

The bike stood innocently in the position she had left it in only a couple days before. On the seat, a chunk of ripped paper advertising for yoga lessons, had harsh, scribbled writing on it. She picked up the paper in her damp hand and in one quick instant realized it was from Zack. Four single words stood on the paper. Four words that would burn themselves to the very core of Max's brain and eat away at her, filling her with the guilt that she could've done something to prevent this. 

"Went back for them."   



	18. 

Backslide

Max gunned the engine of her motorcycle and zipped down the streets, weaving around the people and cars. Her adrenaline was flowing, like someone had just put a lighted match in a tank of gasoline. She saw only a couple of Lydecker's men, but was moving at far too fast of a speed for them to even see her. 

The engine of the bike roared, sending the wind whistling through Max's hair. Again, she gunned the engine with one quick shot of her foot against the gas. The bike laughed its deep, throaty laugh and picked up the pace, eagerly devouring the power Max had delivered. 

  
She arrived at her destination a couple minutes earlier than she had expected, but it wasn't going to be a problem. Running up the stairs and hurrying into the penthouse, she found Logan sitting in his wheelchair, examining what appeared to be files in the middle of the living room. "Max!" he said, obviously surprised and shocked by her disheveled appearance. "What's up?" 

"Where's the building that I was kept in?" 

"Huh? Oh, the old Manticore building?" 

"Yes, that'd be the one," she snapped. She wasn't in the mood for his petty little games and such today. He had to be blunt with her and get to the point. Side-stepping just wasn't going to cut it. Zack could already be in Lydecker's clutches by now. Time was golden. 

"Max, why do-" 

"I have my reasons. Ok?" 

He paused and wheeled himself over to her. He wasn't happy about the fact that he had to literally look up at her, but there was no more that he could do. "I won't give you the address. I'm not going to have you get killed." 

"Look, Logan, I'm going with or without your help. Without will take longer and it'll be more dangerous, but I'll go anyway." 

"You're going back to Manticore?" he echoed, startled by her decision, leaning back in his chair. "Max, they'll kill you! Or, if they don't, they'll most certainly never ever let you out again!" 

"Logan, I don't care what you say. Give me the freaking address or I may have to hurt you," she said through gritted teeth. 

Logan didn't flinch. He sat, staring silently up at her, examining every portion of her face. The wheels in his head were already moving, deciphering Max's real motive for going back to Manticore. 

"Why?" he asked, although he had a very good guess as to why she was planning to go back. 

"Not now," she replied and turned away from him and walked to the computer room. Logan followed, wheeling himself into the room and lingered in the doorway, as he watched Max sit down to the computer and begin to click and type. 

"You're not going to find it," he told her. 

"And why would that be?" 

"It's called a locked file." Max stood up from the chair and walked around the chair to face Logan. 

"Fine," she snapped, "you want it that way, you got it." 

She turned smartly and began to leave. Logan's brain finally figured out that if she wasn't stopped, Max was going to Manticore with the threat of Lydecker resting on her shoulders. Quickly, he turned the chair around and pushed himself after her. She had just opened the door when Logan called out. 

"It's Zack-isn't it?" 


	19. 

Backslide

Max froze inside the door like she had just been tagged in Frozen Tag. Her hand slowly dropped off the golden doorknob and came to rest by the hem of her maroon shirt. She turned back around and stared evenly at him. She wasn't sure whether to be angry or completely speechless that Logan had figured it out. It wasn't like she had ever doubted him-Logan was a smart man. Certainly he would've figured it out eventually, but so quickly? 

She swallowed the lump in her throat that had formed from the rapidly rising emotions. "You know?" 

He crossed his arms across his chest and stared right back at her from at least ten feet away. "Well, you just confirmed it for me. Max, you can't go after him," he reasoned. 

"And why not?" 

"Number one, you'll be put back in Manticore, possibly forever. Number two, he can take care of himself-can't he? All this time, I've been hearing stories about independent Zack this and fearless Zack that, and now he suddenly needs your help? I find it rather odd that he would ask for your help." 

"I never said he asked for my help," she said sourly. "He's not thinking and-" 

"And it's suddenly your job to go and play 'mommy'?" 

"No," she protested. "Look, Logan, I can see that you're not quite getting this. Let me clarify it for you. I help him out. He helps me out. We all help each other out. Got it? Good." 

"Getting yourself killed won't help anybody." 

"Did I say I was going to get myself killed? No, this isn't a game of suicide. I promised myself I'd get the others out, and that's what I'll do. And, I have to get Zack out as well." 

"And there's nothing I can do or say to stop you?" he asked, searching for one last shred of hope that Max might just be willing and stay. 

She shook her head. "Nothing. I know it's not what you'd do, but I have to. I've spent eleven years searching for them, and to suddenly have them whisked away by Lydecker just isn't going to agree with me." Logan sighed. The burning light of optimism suddenly died away, leaving him either going along with her plan or pushing her out entirely. If she left without his help, she'd die, and Logan knew that. He didn't want to help her go back, but he surely wouldn't let her die and have her blood on his head. 

"Fine," he said reluctantly. "I'll give you the map, but you have to promise me you won't leave until at least tomorrow morning, or at the earliest-tonight." 

"Why?" 

"Max, you have to get rid of the baby. You go in there with the child, Lydecker will treat it like his own personal experiment, and it'll include you too. It's better to have an abortion, I guess," he said with a shrug. This wasn't his problem. If Zack was so "wonderful" and "helpful", then where the heck was he? Logan sighed. Fine, two can play this game. 

"Well, then, I'll head downtown right now." 

"No, I'll call, it'll be a lot safer. I mean, Lydecker's men are still out there-right?" 

"Yeah…" she agreed unwillingly. She didn't like being told what to do, by anybody-especially Logan. But still, he did make a valid point. Logan looked at her for another moment, checking to make sure her reply was true, and she wasn't going to bash his head in when he called, and wheeled himself over to the phone. 

"You know the number for an abortion center by heart?" she asked, unbelieving that Logan was just going to pick up the phone and automatically call. 

"No, that's what operator services were invented for. Oh…yes," he said speaking into the phone. "Could you please give me the hospital that would offer abortions, or any OB/GYN information? Yeah…Thanks…" He paused, waiting for the line to connect. 

Max turned away from him and walked across the living room to the opposite window. Logan was right-Lydecker's guys still were out there, prowling the streets like ravenous wolves, consuming everything in their path. And all because of her. This isn't your fault, she told herself. It's Lydecker's problem that he can't behave like an adult and has to throw a temper-tantrum when he doesn't get his way all the time. She laughed silently to herself, the image of a baby Lydecker in diapers filling her mind. Amusing. 

"Max?" Logan called from the computer room. She lingered for a couple for minutes at the window before eventually turning and walking over to him. 

"Yeah?" she said, leaning against the doorframe. 

"There's been a little problem," he told her as he licked the bottom of his lip. 

"Isn't there always?" 

"True, true, but seriously, this is a problem." 

"Go on." 

"I just spoke to the abortion centers, everyone in the Seattle metropolis and some of the surrounding cities-" 

"And they won't accept a genetically engineered human?" she interrupted. "Damn," and she snapped her fingers as if she truly was upset. 

"Actually, that would be the least of our worries actually, if that was our worry. But it's not." 

"And, what would be the worry?" 

Logan sighed and rested his hands casually in his lap. "Lydecker has every place checked out. I tried to register you and they all ask if this is the daughter of Donald Lydecker. Apparently, he's been going around and telling everybody if any woman by the name of Max enters, it's his daughter." 

"Yuck. So, besides being an incredibly nasty thought-what else?" 

"The abortion won't happen. The baby will have to live. So, I'm hoping you'll stay since you also have the baby to worry about.

"I won't be able to save you this time, Max. I won't be able to buy you back from Lydecker or sneak myself in. Maybe I will be able to find the building, but," he sighed, "I won't be able to help you. Please, just stay…"

Max walked over closer to Logan and crouched down in front of him so they were at eye level. "Look, I know you don't agree with this, but I'm going back." 

"You're going to get yourself killed." 

She shrugged. "There are worse fates than death." 

"Max, I-" 

"Logan, look, don't get all emotional on me now. It's not my funeral. Hey, I'm still here-ok?" 

"This is ludicrous," he told her, shaking his head. 

"Logan, _this_ isn't ludicrous, remember, _I'm_ ludicrous." 


	20. See the Face

Backslide

Max looked up on the street to the window where Logan sat, looking out at the city. She really would miss the guy, and who knew what he'd do to himself if she didn't come back. Still, he couldn't stop her from going back-even though she did feel somewhat guilty about it. Logan's shadow disappeared from the window, and Max finally turned away and slung one leg over the seat of her bike. She took a deep breath and making a cloud around her mouth. Night was just beginning to arrive. A quick mental calculation told Max that it would be about five or four hours before total blackness. 

Carefully, she balanced the bike and pushed off, starting the engine up slowly and then pushing the gas pedal all the way down, sending the engine screaming. Don't wait up for me Logan, she thought and laughed. Time to rock n' roll. 

Logan watched from his window above as Max hopped on her bike. He was worried about her and didn't like the fact she was leaving-again. How could she be so foolish to risk her life for him? Him. Although Logan certainly would never admit it, he disliked Zack and everything about the guy. Zack was the punky little kid on the street that sold drugs in Logan's mind. Still, he could never tell Max what he felt about Zack, because that would mean losing her forever. Or have I already lost her? Don't be an idiot Logan, he told himself, she hasn't gone anywhere. Nothing's happened. 

Upon hearing the piercing cry of the bike's engine, he turned back to the window and watched as the clouds of exhaust swallowed Max. As she pushed onwards, the clouds eventually spit her back out into the dusty sky. Come home Max, he prayed, come home. 

Max swooped around the curvy roads that Logan had marked out for her on the map. She didn't have the map anymore, for it had blown out of her hand during a jump over a ditch. But, no matter, she had instantly memorized the directions to the old building. 

A tight knot had formed in her stomach and her hands were becoming sweaty inside their gloves. Behind her tinted glasses, her eyes were squinted, carefully examining every corner of the thick forest she traveled through. If she wasn't careful, Lydecker could easily snatch her up. 

She wasn't afraid of Lydecker. He was a human and could be disposed of easily enough if needed to be. If he tried to harm her or the others, it would become permanent lights-out. Yet, Max still felt the need for fear. It was one thing to be dragged to Manticore, unwillingly. It was a whole other to willingly accept Manticore with open arms and let herself go back when she knew the risks. Well, if I know the risks, why didn't Zack think about them? No answer came to her through the whipping wind. 

Approximately a half an hour later, Max arrived at the Manticore base. The building was how she remembered it and it brought back far too vivid of memories. 

She had been to this building only once, due to the fact it was outside the Wyoming base. Yet, Lydecker believed that if his little soldiers were going to get good training in unfamiliar areas, there should be other places besides the main body in Wyoming. So, he had brought them to this building and taken them out into the thick forest. The very forest where, about ten years earlier, she had killed a man. And, not too long ago, where Ben had died with the ghosts of his victims. A lump formed instantly in her throat as she realized how much blood had truly been spread. Max furiously shook her head and tried to rid her mind of the deteriorating memories. 

Max rested the bike back in the woods and covered it up where only she would be able to see it. Then, she turned and ran, heading right for the wire coiled fence. Once she had enough speed, she threw herself in the air and landed on the opposite side of the fence, resting on her haunches. Perfect, she thought with mild satisfaction. A quick scan told her which direction she should head in. 

Immediately she began to run on the bare ground towards the building in the distance. Suddenly a voice rang out. "There she is! Get 'er!" Max glanced behind her and felt the knot in her stomach twist even tighter. She picked up speed, her legs flexing quickly and easily in long strides. 

Out of nowhere, there was a whizzing sound by Max's head. She stiffened and picked up the pace. Just as she was ready to scale up the side of the brick building, another body slammed into her, dazing Max. She tasted the acrid flavor of dirt as she hit the ground on her stomach. The other person was turning Max over to fully see Max's face.   
  
Max twisted and shot one leg out, making contact with something soft. The person grunted, but kept at it until Max was efficiently flipped on her back. Usually, Max would've had no problem defeating an enemy like this, but the opponent was rather skilled, and Max was out of training. Max's mind was screaming directions to her at far too rapid a pace. She didn't understand and became confused by gun firing. A blow struck her in the head and she wavered, letting her guard down. The next thing she knew, she was pinned on her back with the person kneeling above her. 

A couple of Lydecker's usual black soldiers came running by. "We saw-" one of them began, pointing behind him. "Oh, I'm sorry, commander, I did not realize that you already had the prisoner detained." 

"Go," the other person replied. The voice was gravelly due to Max's disorientation, therefore making it hard to tell if the person was male or female. The men slowly filed away. Once the men were out of sight, the person backed off Max a little, and reached into a pack that was attached to their hip. In the pale moonlight, Max was able to see the face for the first time. 

Brin. 


	21. Not Who You Remember

Backslide

The person had grabbed a thick cord and tied it around Max's ankles. "Brin?" Max asked cautiously. Immediately, the opponent's eyes narrowed to slitting daggers. Out of nowhere, a strong arm was pressing Max tighter and tighter against the chain fence, choking her of life. Max's hands fluttered, trying to push the choking grasp away. "Brin!" she hissed. The arm that held her up against the fence was strong, and soon Max felt her feet leave the ground, held up only by the force on her throat. Max's vision was blurring and dark speckles clouded her sight. Her head was spinning and she couldn't concentrate anymore. She had one last attempt before the person literally choked the life out of her. Weakly, she raised an arm and touched the person's cheek, her fingers tingly with oxygen loss. "Brin! It's…me…Max," she wheezed. 

The strong arm holding her flew away, and Max landed on all fours, coughing and gagging. "My God…" she coughed. "What's wrong with you?" 

Brin had backed away, unsure. She had drawn a gun and aimed it at Max. "Who are you?" she asked through gritted teeth. 

"I told you, it's me, Max. Remember?" 

Brin shook her head defiantly. "No, Max is dead." 

"What are you talking about? I'm not dead. I'm right here. Open your eyes and look at me!" Clumsily rising to her feet due to the ropes around her ankles, Max walked stiffly over to Brin and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Don't you remember? Me and Zack saved you from that prison. Then, you were going to die so Lydecker had to take you. Remember! You have to remember!" Slowly, the wheels in Brin's head began to turn. Her eyes softened and she lowered the gun. A fleeting smile appeared on her lips. 

"Max. It really is you," she whispered. 

"Of course it's me." Brin flung her arms around Max and hugged her, letting the gun fall to the ground between them. 

"I can't believe you came back," Brin replied, stepping away from Max and almost examining her. "I'd have thought that you'd want to get as far away from here as you could." 

"Yeah, well, I've got some unfinished business, so to say." Brin bent down and picked up the gun, shoving back into her pack.   
  
"Look, sorry 'bout that. I thought you were some impersonator trying to get into Manticore," she apologized, embarrassed almost.   
  
Max shrugged. "It's not that big of a deal. It's really not-" 

"I've could've killed you!" 

"You didn't." 

"I could've, and that's the problem-" 

"Why'd you say I was dead?" Max interrupted. 

"Huh? Oh, that." She sighed and turned away and began walking towards the large building. Max followed, removing the ropes binding her ankles, and walking beside her friend. "Long story. Don't ask me to get into it," she replied, shaking her head. 

"C'mon, please tell me." 

"Max…you need to leave." 

"Why?" 

"Lydecker'll kill you!" Brin exclaimed. 

"I have things to do…" 

"Zack?" 

Max nodded. 

"Look, leave him here-" Brin began. 

"What?!" 

"He's better off here." 

"How so? How could Zack possibly be better off here than in freedom? How?" Max questioned. 

"He's not Zack," Brin replied softly turning away from Max, her face disguised by her dark hair. 

"What?" 

"Look, he may look like Zack and talk like Zack, but that man who is in Zack's body…it's not him! It's not who you remember!" 


	22. Elude it All

Backslide

"What'd Lydecker do to him?" Max asked, her voice barely a whisper.

Brin sighed, she really didn't like conveying all this information because Max had been seen as the enemy for so long. Yet it wasn't like Max deserved to be kept in the dark on the subject. "He came here this morning. Somehow he was able to sneak into the building unnoticed. He had gotten almost everybody out, but a couple of the kids…I mean, you know how talented he is at that stuff…" 

"Uh-huh," Max agreed. 

"He was just about to get the last person out…I don't even remember who is was, but that doesn't matter. I remember Lydecker was on the phone, calling abortion agencies or something like that, searching for you nonetheless because he still thought you were alive. Anyhow, Lydecker got to Zack, gunned him down and immediately took him in the lab for all kinds of tests." Brin rolled her eyes sympathetically. "They did so many tests on him, I lost count after two hours-" 

"Two hours of tests!" 

"Yeah, not fun. Lydecker was trying to find out where you were by using all kinds of torture devices...poor Zack… Finally, Zack admitted that you had committed suicide because you couldn't handle raising the child," Brin raised an eyebrow. "I'm not going to ask about that one." 

"Not now." 

"Well, Lydecker was pretty ticked. He ranted and raved for a long time, and then finally ordered that they go and 'fix Zack up a bit', or so Lydecker called it. Usually, when they brainwash the people, they'll throw them in the big tank, but Zack escaped from that…not like it was doing any good anyhow…I was outside when I first heard the screams." Brin shuddered, remembering. "Zack screamed and screamed and screamed. My God, I'd never heard him scream before like that. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever heard him scream." 

"Neither have I," Max agreed.   
  
"But," Brin shuddered again, "those were certainly the most horrific screams I have ever heard. He would call Lydecker a nasty name every once in a while, only to be followed by more screaming. Actually, it eventually became a harsh, scratchy, bellow. Not pleasant. Everyone in the building must've heard it. Finally, he was quiet, but after that, I just knew that something awful had been done to him." 

"Do you know what they did?" 

"No, I don't. All I know is that Zack is like…well…how should I put this?…He's like Lydecker's evil puppet. Lydecker says fight, Zack fights. Lydecker says kill, Zack kills. And the horrible part about all of this was that Zack was such a powerful person to begin with. Now with all the stuff Lydecker did to him, it just helped, I guess you could say that, helped him even more. Like I said, he may look like Zack and talk like Zack, but it's not him." 

"There has to be a way to save him." 

"Only Lydecker knows how." 

Max thought about this for awhile and noticed Brin staring at her. Changing the subject she asked, "So, how'd you get to be out here?" 

"Well, after I got better, Lydecker let me work with the soldiers, thinking I could once again become them. I tried to escape once, but I began to age rapidly and began to feel so weak, that I actually came back to him-sad, I know." 

"You had no other choice." 

"Yeah, well, that's what I'd like to think. Anyhow, Lydecker knows I'm not going anywhere. I leave I die. At least here I can live. Besides, I'm useful to him, being a 'powerful' X-5 and all." 

"I'll get you out of here, I'll get you all of here," Max told her. 

"No," Brin said. 

"What? You can't tell me you actually like it here. You can't tell me the others enjoy it here." 

"Look, Max we survive. That's all there is to it. No more. Ok? Just please leave before you get hurt." 

"I'm not leaving-" 

"Without us? Max, we'll be fine." 

"I can't just let you guys stay here. I can't live knowing that I could've done something to prevent the lives you're living." 

"Max, listen to me," Brin snapped and grabbed Max by the shoulders, so that they met, eye to eye for the first time in a long time. "I want you to go. I know the others do too. We all want you to go and live your life as happily and wonderfully as you could. Live it like a normal person, Lydecker's not going to come after you-he thinks you're dead." 

"Stop talking like this!" Max bit. Brin turned away and took a deep breath, her pale skin illuminated by the harsh light of the moon. Her eyes, two radiant stars against the night sky, twinkled far away, remembering the blissful taste of freedom that she would no longer have, but wanted Max to always be able to eat. 

"You've escaped, Max," she said so quietly it sounded as if she was on the verge of tears. 

"What are you talking about?" 

"You have a life. Friends, a job, a boyfriend, or so I hear, an apartment, a normal life. Lydecker's never going to be hunting after you again. You can live normally. You've escaped." 

"Escaped what?" 

Brin sighed, and turned to face Max. Indeed, crystal tears had coated over Brin's almond eyes. "The rest of us couldn't escape. But you did. Don't you see Max? You've managed to elude it all, managed to slip between Lydecker's greedy little fingers. You escaped the backslide." 


	23. Going Back

Backslide

Max simply stared at her friend, quiet and comprehending. Brin was right. Max _had_ escaped everything that the others had gone through. She wasn't a soldier, she wasn't a test experiment, she didn't even belong to Manticore. The others, unfortunately, had been forced to relapse back into the lives that they all tried to leave eleven years ago. She opened her mouth to speak when Lydecker could be heard calling Brin in from the building. 

Brin turned to Max. "Don't follow me. Don't you dare follow me and make it something you'll regret for the rest of your life." She turned again and slowly strode into the building. Once she entered the illuminated doorway, she turned to face Max, and shook her head. The door closed behind her dark shadow. 

Max stood outside alone, now. She was so confused. Her loyalties were with the others. But what if what Brin had said was true-that Zack really was a puppet of Lydecker's? Still, the rest of them didn't deserve to suffer just because Zack had been poisoned. Besides, what if he could change? What if he really could get better? She remembered what he had told her only that morning, _"Thanks…for everything, Max."_

Right then and there, as she stood in the darkness, the night wind starting to build, she decided that no matter what Lydecker did to her, she would never give up on her friends. Her adrenaline building, she ran towards the building, faster and faster. The wall came closer and closer, no turning back now. You know what you have to do, she told herself. 

Her legs tightened and pushed off the ground, propelling herself into the air, so she hung on the side of the brick wall. The bricks were aligned wrongly enough that Max was able to get some kind of foothold. She scurried up the side of building, not even thinking of the possibility that she could just tumble off and die. 

Once she had reached the top, she grasped onto the side of the building and heaved herself up. The top of the building was bare. A single skylight sent light shooting up into the night sky. She crept cautiously, never daring to make a sound. Slowly, she sidled up to the window and peered down into it, craning her neck ever so slightly. She couldn't risk getting too close to the window. Somebody would see her and she could trust hardly anyone. Even Zack, or so Brin had said, was not trustable. 

Far below, she saw her friends in their cells, all miserable looking and very lonely. They were skinny and malnourished. Obviously, Lydecker didn't have the funds to feed them well enough. He just figured if he kept them alive long enough until the good food arrived, that was fine enough. All of them had dark circles under eyes that sunk far too deep into sockets. 

Tinga, Max thought it was her, was rocking back and forth, clutching her knees like a psychotic patient. Jhondi was rubbing her arms, trying to keep warm. Zane, lying on his back, was staring off into an abyss. His eyes shifted and met Max's, high above. Eyes widening he slowly sat up, still staring at Max in the window above his head. She put her finger over her lips, motioning for him to be quiet. He nodded. 

Carefully, and as quietly as possible, Max opened the skylight. The warm, stale air came flowing out, and Max nearly gagged. How retched, she thought. 

In one fluid movement, she slipped through the window and fell to the floor. Although she made barely a sound in her landing, all eyes centered on her. 

"Max?" Jhondie asked in disbelief, rising to her feet. 

"But we were told you were dead," Krit, who she hadn't noticed before, said. 

"Yeah, well, don't believe what you hear," Max said with a shrug. 

"You have to get out of here," Zane told her. Jhondie nodded in agreement. 

"No, I'm not leaving without you guys and Zack." 

"Max, you don't want us," Syl said. 

"Why not?" 

"Look at us," she replied, "we're here. There's no way you can sneak all of us out there without being spotted by Lydecker." 

"I can't just abandon you!" 

"Shh, chill," Krit whispered. "We gotta keep our voices down or else 'Deck is going to flip. Max, look, it's nice that you came back for us and everything, but you unlock these cells, and do you have any idea how many guards are going to be all over you?" 

"A lot," she replied. 

"So, you have to get going. Now!" Zane hissed. 

"Where's Zack?" she asked, totally changing the subject. They hadn't suspected that one. They all looked away from her and at the ground. "What'd Lydecker do to him? I've talked to Brin and she says that Lydecker did something pretty bad to him. She says he's not Zack anymore and-" 

"Well, she's right," Zane snapped.   
  
"How so?" 

"Max." The voice was so soft that Max barely heard it. Tinga was rising to her feet, almost painfully and she walked to the bars of her cell. Max hurried down to her cell and stood outside, and reached to touch Tinga's freezing hand, since there were no wires around the cells. Tinga smiled faintly. "I can't believe you actually came back." 

"I'd never leave you guys here like this." 

"Max, not now. You have to listen to us. Leave now. Go out and forget about us-" 

"I can't…" she began. 

"Yes, yes you can. Forget about everything that's been done and will be done. You're free take it while you can." 

Max shook her head. "I don't believe this." 

"Well, you'd better believe it," Syl replied. 

Max turned away from them and to the door that was at the end of the row of cells. She walked up to it and rested her hand on the doorknob. "Don't go after him," Jhondi warned. 

"You'll regret it for as long as you live," Zane told her. 

"They'll kill you Maxie," Krit said. She turned back to them. None of them wanted her to go. The minute she opened that door, she would never, ever escape Manticore again. No amount of money that Logan proposed would ever set her free. No clever artifices would help her to escape. Lydecker would never let his guard down again, and she couldn't flee as she had eleven years before. She knew it. Her friends knew it. 

"If you're going after Zack, don't, because it's pointless," Jhondi spat, angry almost. 

"I can't leave him, just like I can't leave you guys."   
  
"This will be it, then, you realize that?" Zane asked her. 

"Yes," she replied. 

"Max, there cannot possibly be any reason that you would risk your life to go after Zack. Yes, he's helped us all out before, but he won't want you. He'll want to kill you, that's all there is to it," Jhondi told her. 

"I'm not expecting you to support me on this, but I have to make my own choices," Max said. 

"What reason is there that could possibly be good enough for risking your life?" Tinga asked. 

Max ignored her, although she really didn't want to. She opened the door and stepped out. It was time to begin. 

Slowly, the closed the door behind her, letting it click quietly. A looming hallway stretched before her. She leaned back against the door and sighed, trying to prepare herself for the challenge of her life. 

You know why, Tinga?, she thought. You want to really know why I'm going back to Zack when it could mean my death? Max shook her head and began to walk down the corridor. 

I love him. 


	24. Got the Prisoner

Backslide

The hallway was long with few doors. Max cautiously peeked in a couple of them, only to reveal storage rooms with boxes that Max would've liked to look at, but didn't have the time. Her mind was overflowing with memories. She actually remembered walking down the same hallway eleven years earlier. Alright, she told herself, think Max, think, where would Lydecker keep a prisoner? 

She slithered down the hallway a little bit more until she saw another door. It didn't look any different than the others-standard cream coloring with a tiny glass square with wire running through the glass-but Max knew this was it. Without bothering to check inside, she twisted the silver knob, and amazingly, it opened under her touch. 

A single bare bulb that sent shadows flying all over lighted the room hung from the ceiling. Max had just closed the door when she heard a voice behind her coming from the room. "Hello Max." She turned slowly, hearing the click of the door. A shadowy figure sat at a small square table. There was a chair opposite of the figure with peeling paint. 

"Who are you?" she questioned, unable to see the person's face because of the harsh shadows. Unfortunately, she was unable to recognize the voice. It was male, obviously. But, could've easily been Lydecker or Zack. Please, she prayed, let it be Zack. 

"Please sit," the person replied, completely ignoring her question. 

"Who are you?" she repeated. 

"Don't go searching for lost answers." 

"What?" 

The person sighed, a little irritated that Max hadn't understand their riddle. "No matter, but, you will join me-won't you?" 

"I don't know who you are, but yet you know my identity." 

"Could I forget you?" 

Zack, she thought, had to be Zack. Who else would say something like that? Yet, if it was he, the monotone of his voice scared her and the way he talked. So, could it really be Zack? Max still held her body stiff, ready to spring if needed. She couldn't be too careful-especially in an old Manticore building. 

"If you knew who I was, would you come sit with me?" the person asked. Max nodded. The person sighed. "Very well, only a small price, I suppose." The person rose stiffly from their own metal folding chair and walked over to Max. The few seconds that it took for the person to walk over to her seemed like hours. The person reached over to the wall and flipped a switch, lighting the room completely. 

Max blinked from the harsh, artificial light, and she was forced to squint her eyes for the first few seconds before fully adjusting. The person stood in front of her, their thumbs resting in the back pockets of their pants, and their boots muddy and dirty on the bottom, but shining on the black surface. Max let her eyes start at the feet and work their way up. She couldn't be too hopeful. She let a startled gasp, which led to a chuckle from the other person. 

"You don't recognize me?" the person asked. 

"Zack?" she whispered. 

"Yeah, it's me." There was a pause before he smiled. "Good to see you too." 

"Zack, I… I can't believe…" she began. "You came back!" she stuttered in disbelief. 

"Look, I know it was ridiculous, but I couldn't just leave them here. You understand-don't you?" 

She nodded. "I do. I do understand." Quickly, she glanced away from him and at the door, then back to him. "We can probably escape now, I haven't seen any of Lydecker's men out in the hallways recently. Then we can go back and get the others, they're right down the hallway," she told him. Max turned away and began to walk towards the door. Her hand had just rested on the doorknob when she felt Zack's hand on her arm. 

"Max…" he began. She turned back around, guided by him. They were so close now, so utterly close. His hand was resting casually on her arm, and he was stroking her hair with the other hand. "I've missed you," he told her in a whisper. 

"I missed you too." 

"Look, I don't ever want to be away from you again," he said in a barely audible tone. 

"Mmm-hmmm..." she murmured from far-away, her eyes instinctively closing as he bent in until she was backed against the wall. She felt his hot breath on her face and leaned her face up to meet his. 

There was a quiet click as the door opened and suddenly, out of nowhere, a strong clutch came down on her throat. Max was plastered up against the wall, not breathing, and not seeing. She coughed and gagged, trying to pull the single hand away that choked her so. Lydecker, you wretch, she thought angrily. 

But, when she finally opened her burning eyes, trying to regain consciousness, she saw Zack leaning out of an opened door, one of his arms on…her throat. 

"I got her!" he yelled down the hallway. "I got the prisoner! She's ours at last! Max is ours!" 


	25. Turn Against Him

Backslide

By the time it finally registered in Max's brain that Zack had indeed betrayed her, she had become far too dizzy from lack of oxygen to barely stand. Her knees buckled underneath her just as Lydecker came dashing through the open door, followed by a couple of his men. Zack just let her drop, not caring if she was hurt in the process or not. Dropping to her knees as the room swam around her, she fell on her side on the cold cement floor, eye level with Zack's shiny boots. 

"Congratulations soldier," Lydecker was saying, although his voice was thick and far, far away. Zack nodded. 

"Thank you, sir." 

Lydecker pursed his lips, thoughtfully. "What method did you use to capture the prisoner?" 

"Tactic of deceit. Not hard to do," he replied with a faint smile. "The prisoner lives on sentimentalities, one of her greatest weaknesses, sir." 

"Well, I must admit, it's good to have her back." Then, turning to his men, "Take her down to C23. She can stay there until we can arrange for better accommodations." The men didn't question their leader. 

Silently, they roughly picked Max up, who was losing consciousness quickly, and they began to haul her out of the room. Zack stood beside Lydecker, being the right hand man, arms crossed and a smug smirk planted on his face. As dark blotches began to obscure her vision, Max let her eyes rest weakly on Zack. His expression didn't change-he had done what had been ordered-capture the enemy. Yet, Max felt her life drain out of her and make a puddle on the floor. If Zack, the strongest of all, was defeated, would she really stand a chance? 

"Zack…" she whispered to him, her voice fading away. "Don't…don't…forget…" This seemed to strike something in him, which caused him to stand a little bit straighter and erase some of the cruel smirk. Yet Lydecker's hold remained. 

Max didn't even remember being taken to the room or anything besides Zack, when she finally snapped to her senses after awakening later on. How could he have sunk so low? How? 

At first the only thing she wanted to do was sit and wallow in her pit of self-misery. Yet, that of course would do no one any good. Then she wanted to scream and tear her hair out, strand by strand. She actually fell for such a cheap trick! Brin had warned her that Zack was dangerous and so had the others, but no, she just had to think that Zack had actually changed. 

Max rose to her feet and brushed off the seat of her black pants. Lydecker would be coming anytime. He would want to get her into a better pair of clothes and check up on the child. 

Quickly, Max surveyed the type of room she was in, searching for a way to escape. The room was a room. That was all. There were no tables, or chairs, or amazingly, no cells to contain her. It was a just a small room with a single door that was her only escape in and out. 

Not wanting to just give up so easily, she backed up and ran furiously right into the door, pleading with it to budge at least somewhat. Unfortunately, it didn't and Max ended up on her back, lying on the cement floor. She growled angrily and picked herself back up and rammed the door again. This time, she lashed one of her feet out and kicked the doorknob, blinded by her anger. This process only succeeded in creating a dent in the silver handle. Again and again, she kicked until she fell to the ground. 

She was fuming with beads of sweat clinging to her forehead. Lydecker had done that to him. Lydecker had turned Zack away from everyone. Lydecker was the enemy. A flashback of far ago Manticore training came to her. Lydecker. Enemy. Enemy-destroyed. Destroy enemy. 

Max actually laughed when she realized that Lydecker's own work was going to turn against him. 


	26. Such a Cruel Parody

Backslide

Minutes, perhaps hours later, for time no longer held any type of relevance to Max, the door opened. She sprang immediately to her feet, poised and ready to kill if necessary. In walked Lydecker followed by Zack. Surprisingly, no other men followed them. Max wasn't sure if this was a good thing because she only had two men to deal with, or a bad thing because of the power they might have held. 

Lydecker closed and locked the door behind him. He snapped his fingers. "Alright," he said to Zack. Zack nodded curtly and walked towards Max. 

"This doesn't have to become violent," he told her. 

"You wish," she bit back. Zack laughed cruelly, his upper lip twisting into an ugly sneer. 

"If only you knew." Then, he lunged for her. Having been expecting some kind of attack, Max was able to dodge out of his way. This move though, put her closer to Lydecker. She jumped again, and scurried to the opposite corner. 

"Don't let her get to you," Lydecker told Zack. If Zack heard, he didn't show it. He once again dashed for Max. This time, though, he was able to grasp onto her upper forearm. 

"Let me go!" 

Zack began to push her to her knees so that she wouldn't be able to fight at all. Yet, Max wouldn't go with it. She swung one of her legs out, pulling Zack's feet out from underneath him. He hit the ground on his back and grunted as the pain shot through him. 

Max dashed away like a boxer in a match. Realizing that Zack was much stronger than she, this challenge would require her to think, not fight quite so much. He picked himself back up, his black jeans stretching taunt across his powerful thighs that could easily snap at any second. Looking up at Max and making eye contact, she thought she caught a glimpse of the old Zack. But if he was there, this new Zack pushed him out. 

"C'mon," Zack persuaded in his mock kindness voice, "it's just me, Zack. Nothing's gonna happen." 

"Get away," Max snapped, her fists blocking her face. Zack shook his head sadly like he was going to give up. Suddenly, in one fluid movement, he kicked out at Max, violently knocking the wind out of her. 

She stiffened, gasping for air that couldn't be found. Zack approached her, seeing that she had fallen. No, she told herself, don't give up so easily. You can't let this happen. Yet, a part of her still said that this person was Zack, and she couldn't hurt Zack. But when she once again saw Satan sparkling in his eyes, she knew that this wasn't Zack. 

Just as he was ready to finish the fight, Max pushed herself up and smacked him in the jaw. He swayed and shook his head, trying to clear it. Again, she jabbed at him, hearing her knuckles crack as they hit again in his temple. He snarled and smacked her cleanly in the nose. Blood spilled out and Max forced herself to ignore the warm liquid running over her parched lips and staining her shirt. 

"Get her!" Lydecker barked from behind, impatient with how long this was taking. That comment was all the impetus Zack needed. In one powerful swing, he hit her under the chin in a sharp uppercut. Max's eyes rolled crazily in their sockets before she lost conscious, crumbling to the ground. 

Lydecker, seeing the job finished, whistled to his men to come and get Max. The soldiers, who were waiting just outside the door, scurried in and picked up Max like a sack of grain, hauling her roughly out of the room. 

Zack stood staring at the spot where Max had been, only speckles of her blood revealing that she had even existed. Lydecker noticed his prime soldier's quietness and walked over to him. "You did the right thing," he told Zack. 

Blinking, Zack turned to look at his commander. "Thank you, sir," he replied dumbly. Lydecker hesitated, but left Zack to himself, leaving the door open. 

Zack slowly brought his hand up from his side where it had been hanging. As he stared stupidly at his hand, a memory tickled the back of his mind. 

Lydecker's men had dragged Max away, and Zack didn't help her, just like he didn't help her today. He was so angry that he had inflicted pain upon himself by smashing his hand against iron. 

He looked closer at his hand. Blood, although not his, but still blood, was smeared across his knuckles, creating such a cruel parody that Zack found himself wanting to cry, even though he wasn't exactly sure what for. 


	27. Don't Deal With Possibilites

Backslide

Max awoke in a small cell. She wasn't surprised-Lydecker wouldn't have given her that much freedom in an open room for long. Yet to her utmost dismay, she was back in her uniform, and her abdomen stung like crazy. When she lifted up the corner of her shirt, there was a jagged scar parallel to her previous one. Max let the shirt drop and stiffly stood up. 

She was in a room much similar to the one that she had been placed in the first time she had come back. Another cell adjoined hers-separated only by bars and wires. Yet, this time there was no Zack in the opposite cell, just empty space. The wires crackled and zapped outside her cell, high with voltage and ready to destroy if necessary. 

A shadow passed by her doorway and paused, drawing Max's attention. Max tried to figure out who it was, but obviously couldn't see through the thick door. The person came closer, the shadow shrinking and becoming more definite. They reached for the door handle, ready to open the door. Max's breath tightened in her sternum, praying that it was Brin or someone who had come to help her. 

Unfortunately, there was a crashing noise out in the hallway. The person's head snapped, and they hurried away, as if they didn't want to be caught. Max cursed under her breath, a chance at freedom, lost.   
  
She plopped down on the hard cot. This brought a new pain as Max hit the cot hard, just as she had hit the cement hard as well. She shifted, trying to avoid the bruises. Tenderly, she reached up to touch her nose. The blood had dried, caking her nose in a crimson sheet, and her nose hurt just even touching it. A painful lump had formed on the side on her head where Zack had hit her. 

Remembering the anger in Zack's distorted face, she felt her heart twist in pain. He had been standing so close to her, so utterly close, yet a million miles away. The moment his fist collided with her face was a moment that Max would never forget, no matter how hard. She had wanted to wipe the blood of her face, be rid of the evidence that Zack had done it. Yet, she couldn't. The blood had just ran. 

Max rose to her feet, hearing her knees crack. She didn't even know if it was night or day, but, in truth, that fact was irrelevant. Staring at the wires, Max wondered if she would be able to get herself past them. Don't be an idiot, she said to herself. You can't survive those wires, let alone getting out of the iron cage you're trapped in. 

Slowly, she rested her head on the iron bars, feeling the cold contrast against her own warmth. She let her hands wrap weakly about the bars, barely supporting her. Max wondered what Logan was doing-whether he knew that she was never coming…if he had already forgotten about her. He was right, she thought with an angry sigh, and I was wrong. That's all there is to it. 

No! she yelled at herself. Don't start feeling sorry for yourself now. It's not going to help anyone. 

Silently, Max closed her eyes, visions of Zack and the others dancing across her mind. Would freedom come? 

Max to herself: 

__

Zack, don't think I'm going to give up on you so easily. It's not like you could ever leave to begin with. I know, I really do know, that somewhere inside of you is the Zack I haven't forgotten. The Zack that is good, not evil like this new Zack. Still, I haven't forgotten that old Zack. Perhaps, he may be dead, I don't know. But, I'm not giving up. Besides, it's only a possibility that the old Zack is dead. And I don't deal with possibilities. 


	28. A Rare Smile

Backslide

Eventually the door to the outside world opened, letting light stream into Max's room. She rose from the cot where she had been casually lying. It was a slow rise to her feet-she wasn't in any hurry to go running to greet anybody. No one really mattered. 

As Max had suspected, Lydecker stood in front of her cell, staring at her. "It's time," he told her. 

"For what?" she snapped. 

"I guess it would be resurrection-" 

"Don't you dare try to touch me. I swear to God that I'll have to rip your hand right out of your socket if you so dare as lay a finger on me." 

Lydecker laughed, amused with her threat. "Good, good. I'm glad to see that Manticore's still part of you." He knew this remark would get to her. The only thing that an escapee X-5 hated worse than him was the fact that Manticore would never leave them. 

Indeed the remark had gotten to her, if only for a second. Max didn't want to utter any more threats or that would show that Lydecker was telling the truth-Manticore was still there. The little, vicious soldier hadn't escaped after eleven years. 

Max walked closer to him, showing him that she had nothing to hide. "No," she spat at him, "Manticore's not a part of me, and never will be. I just figured that that's what a person would do to a bastard like you." 

Lydecker flinched slightly, ever so slightly. "Y'know, nothing you say will make me stop wanting you to be part of Manticore. You are part of Manticore." 

"Bull-shit," Max hissed and turned away angrily. There was a pause, and Max began to wonder what Lydecker was up to. 

"Look," he told her, "you can either go along with this peacefully, or, I'll use force against you." 

"I won't ever go along with anything you have." 

Lydecker sighed. "You're too stubborn…" he snapped his finger, and Zack came in from the open door. "..and so was Zack, but now, look at him. The perfect soldier." 

Zack stood by Lydecker, unblinking, his eyes glazed over with an impenetrable shield. He still wore the black jeans and leather jacket that Max had come to love about him. Now, the mere sight of that clothing sickened her, for Lydecker was wearing much of the similar outfit. A younger version of Lydecker. Max wanted to vomit. 

"Now," Lydecker was saying to her. "You're not going anywhere. So, either you can sit in this cell until you rot…or you can come with me. I mean, look at Zack-does he look miserable to you? It's not a bad life-" 

"You don't even live that life! How dare you talk as if you live it! You're not one of us, never have been, never will be!" Max suddenly fumed, throwing herself against the bars. "It's easy to be the leader-anybody can!" There was spit flying from her lips as she spoke. 

Lydecker was appalled-he really was. Slowly, he stepped away from Max's cell and shrugged. "There's always tomorrow," he said solemnly to himself. He turned and Zack followed willingly. 

"Stop being his puppet, Zack! He's got his hand shoved up your ass so far you can't even see it!" Max yelled after them. The only answer she got was the slamming of the heavy door as the room began to go black again. 

A couple minutes later, the door reopened, and this time only Lydecker entered. He didn't stand in front of her cell, but instead with his back to the door-off to the side of her cell. She stared at him, quizzically. "Alright," he told her, "I'm a business man-I've got a deal for you." 

"Really," she said, unimpressed. 

"Yes." 

"Then shoot." 

"You want to leave here-" 

"Damn right." 

"But I want you to stay," he argued. "Yet, I can see your reasoning." 

"Are you high on something?" 

Lydecker paused, ignored the question and continued. "I'll let you out. Under one condition." 

"I die first," she bit. Lydecker was lying, he had to be lying. There was no possible way that he could be telling the truth. He'd never let her escape, especially with the valuable child she was carrying. 

"No, no, you'll be alive. Here's the deal, you go into this fight. A fight to the death. Whoever lives, wins their freedom." 

"Who'll I be fighting?" 

Lydecker smiled slowly, a rare smile. "Zack."   



	29. Are You Really Sure?

Backslide

Max just stared at him, there was nothing she could say. He had to be boasting, had to be. There was no way Lydecker was going to risk losing his most precious soldier. The part about letting her go was a complete and utter lie, that's all there was to that. Yet, still, would he really be so foolish as to put Zack, who was the most powerful human, in danger, and put Max, who was carrying Lydecker's little nuclear warhead, in danger as well? 

"You're lying," she told him in a very monotone voice. 

"On the contrary, I'll have to admit, this is one of the few times I'll be truthful with you." 

"Why?" 

"I have my reasons." 

"You realize that if you lose me, this child, your _supreme_ creation," she bit, "will be lost as well." 

He stared at her, face void of any expression. "There will be others." 

"And-" she continued, "you'll lose your best soldier if Zack dies." 

"That," Lydecker said to her, "won't happen." He was too cocky, too full of himself, and it was going to cost him. 

Max's mind was whirling frantically. Zack could, and probably would, kill her. There was no doubt in her mind about that. Yet, she could escape, could go back to the freedom she had been so foolish to give up. She bit her lower lip, chewing gently on it, while pondering the choice. Would she really be able to fight Zack? Surely, she wouldn't be able to kill him, but at least get him disoriented enough that she could escape-would it be possible? I won't know, if I don't try, she told herself. Besides, if I die, I die. I don't want to, but it would be better than being in here. 

"Agreed," she said to Lydecker. The word was a iron gate slamming in her face, sealing her fate for eternity. Life and death eternity. 

He nodded, pleased with her decision. "Well, then, it's late, so I'll be leaving now, so that you can be fully ready." 

"When?" she asked. 

"Tomorrow morning." He turned slowly, lingering for a moment to glance at her, his beautiful soldier, his creation. With a final shake of his head, he closed the door behind him, letting it click quietly. 

Max didn't move, she couldn't. She would actually be forced to fight Zack. There was a vague memory of her fighting him at a cabin…but that was irrelevant to the present situation. They had just been "fooling around", more or less. Sure, they had been angry with each other, but the full killer instinct they contained wasn't portrayed. Now it would be. 

Tomorrow morning she would feel the full extent of Zack's might. How truly powerful was he? Sure, he had beaten her earlier that day, but he still wasn't full force fighting. He had known he was able to win easily, and had done so. 

Sighing, Max sat down on the cot, her head clasped in her hands as she stared at the bare cement ground. 

Alright, she told herself, it's the ultimate test. Time to review. Max went over all the fighting moves that Lydecker had taught her, for surely Zack would be using those same moves. She reexamined the hand signals Lydecker used so that she would be able to watch him tomorrow and figure out what was going on. 

You can do this, she told herself. But, another voice in the back of her mind was still questioning. 

Still asking, are you sure Max? Are you really sure? 


	30. Typhoon of Rage

Backslide

The next morning, as promised, Lydecker came to awaken Max. She was already awake, though, having not slept most of the night. It was more of a nervous brain racking procedure all night, trying to plan how to outwit both Lydecker and Zack. 

Lydecker, alone, cocked his gun, deliberately clicking it loudly. He turned off the wires and proceeded to open her cell. "You try to attack me, I won't hesitate to shoot you," he told her. 

She smirked. "And ruin my chance at freedom?" she mocked. "I don't think so." Lydecker paused, uncertain of her true motives, then slowly opened the door. Max walked out, proudly almost, holding her head high. Lydecker fell in step right behind her and placed the gun near the back of her head. He pushed the barrel in tight, letting Max know that she wasn't about to escape. 

"Walk," he told her. She walked, obediently, forward. Even if she had tried to escape, it wouldn't have been possible. Lydecker had her, and they both knew it. One flinch, and his pressing finger would push the trigger, exploding Max's head. 

They both walked down the long hallway, past the office where Logan had bargained for Max's life, past the place where she had met Zack, past memories that made Max either want to cry or scream insanely. She wasn't sure which. 

Finally, Lydecker ordered her to stop. He picked up his walkie-talkie and called some men out. Quickly, appearing out of nowhere, five or six men came out. They opened the door in front of Max, and she and Lydecker walked out. 

It was the same training arena she had seen before at Manticore. She would've thought about the boundaries further, but the rank smell of gasoline pressed down on her. She gagged on it, and even Lydecker seemed sick. "What the hell is this?" he asked, irritated. 

"We had a leak, sir. One of the trucks that came in had a puncture in the side. Nothing major. It's being taken care of, sir." 

"I'd hope so," Lydecker bit. He wasn't in the mood to have his plans spoiled by accidents like that. Turning back to his men, "You're dismissed soldiers. Leave us." 

Without questioning, the men saluted and scurried away, not wanting to find out what Lydecker had planned. Again, he picked up his walkie-talkie and called that it was time. Meanwhile, Max examined the old arena. 

It was no bigger than half of the size of a football field. Probably smaller, in fact. Surrounded by cement walls that rose about fifteen feet, then topped with four or five feet of chain link fence, escape wasn't going to be easily plausible. Max's examination of the area was interrupted as movement out the corner of her eye distracted her. She shifted her eyes ever so slightly, not wanting to flinch with the cold gun in the back of her head. 

Zack was striding across the sandy ground, dressed in the same attire she had seen him in earlier. He stopped within a yard of Max and Lydecker. Lydecker, seeing that Zack was there, backed off and walked away to watch. 

"Whoever lives," Lydecker told them, "will win their freedom. Simple as that." Max wanted to laugh. Lydecker giving them freedom? How utterly ridiculous. 

She turned to look at Zack. His face was tightened, void of any emotion. She met his eyes, and he instinctively looked away, not afraid, but denying that he had ever known her. 

"Zack," she told him, "it's doesn't have to be this way." 

"It's the way you wanted it," he spat, still not looking at her. 

"What are you talking about?" 

"You've could've joined me, made it all nice and simple. But no, you had to get one of us killed." 

"Don't you remember?" she yelped. 

"Remember what? How incredibly stupid you are?" 

Max flinched, bit by his comment, but continued nonetheless. "Don't you remember back at the apartment? Don't you remember what happened between us? You have to remember! Please!" 

He turned to look at her, lifting his cold and unforgiving eyes to her. "You shouldn't dwell on sentimentalities." 

"I'm not," she bit back. Zack laughed, amused almost. Then, he shrugged, bored almost. 

"Well, let's get this done and over with." 

"What?" Max asked, but at that moment, Zack struck, igniting the typhoon of rage. 


	31. Kill Them Both

Backslide

Zack lunged forward so quickly that Max felt her legs disconnect and reconnect with her sockets as she dashed out of the way. In a flash, she stuck out one of her legs, kicking Zack in the shins and causing him to eat sand as he fell. He hit the ground with such force that he bounced slightly before rolling for a bit and then pushing himself back to his feet. In a growling rage, he flew back at Max, ready to kill. 

Max jumped up in the air, soaring over his head and landing some feet behind him. Her mind was moving far too fast, screaming directions at her that she should have been able to comprehend, but couldn't. There was too much action for her to try and analyze the situation before her. Just had to go with her instincts. 

Slowly, Zack turned around, a mocking smile planted on his lips. "Is that all you got? C'mon, I'm not even breaking out into a sweat." 

"Zack, I-" Max began. 

"Shit! Just drop it already! Drop the freaking soap opera!" he screamed at her, spit flying from his twisted lips. He ran at her, then propelled himself up in the air before madly kicking and landing his striking feet on Max's shoulders. She fell, rolled, and jumped back up, although her mind was madly whirring. 

Still dizzy, she didn't see Zack's foot as it came towards her, smashing into her stomach. She bent over, gasping for air. Just as he was about to administer another dose of his might, she whipped her hand out and grabbed his ankle. In one quick flash, she twisted his ankle around just enough to force him to the ground. 

Zack cursed and jumped up with a harsh growl. Immediately, one of his fists came out and smacked Max in the lower jaw. She flinched under the impact for a second before recoiling by kneeing him in the stomach. Unfortunately, this didn't seem to affect Zack, for he just laughed, amused with her pathetic attempt. In one fluid movement, he punched her with an iron fist in her nose. 

Blood erupted from Max's previously sore nose. It fell down over her uniform, staining it in tiny grasping claws. She wiped the blood away angrily, not wanting to admit the hurt Zack had caused. Recoiling, she turned and in a quick swipe, kicked him in the chest. 

Zack groaned under the pain, which caused him to back off for a second or two. Out of the corner of her eye, Max saw Lydecker talking to a man. She would've tried to examine the situation more, but Zack was advancing upon her. "Stop it, Zack!" she yelled at him, trying to penetrate his brain. 

Amazingly, he paused, stopping only about a foot or two from her. His knuckle, sporting her blood, dripped the blood to the sandy ground below. Tiny beads of perspiration clung to his upper lip and forehead, and Max knew that she probably sported the same look as he. They were both panting slightly, growing tired from the attack. "We can-" Max began, but at that instant a tiny glow caught her eye. 

Zack too, turned, with one of his eyes swollen, but looked in the direction of the glow. One of the men Lydecker had been talking to was smoking on a cigarette. As Lydecker began to walk away, the man dropped the still fiery cigarette to the ground. 

In Max's mind, it fell in slow motion, and she dashed to grab it before it hit the ground. Zack wasn't far behind. But, they were both too late. The burning ember hit the gasoline soaked ground. There was a pause and for a moment, Max thought everything was safe and okay. But, when she heard the powerful whooshing noise of the starting fire, and felt the heat upon her face, she knew she was wrong. 

Max felt a scream rising in her throat as the flames began to eat away. Even Zack stood, wide-eyed and scared at the fire that was ready to kill them both. 


	32. Charred Body

Backslide

Lydecker turned, feeling the heat upon his back. He saw the flames, and his eyes bulged, ready to pop right out of his sockets. Madly, he began to call to his men as he dashed away inside the building that adjoined the outside arena. 

Max turned away and began to head towards the wall, seeing her chance to escape. Suddenly, another body slammed into her, and they both fell. "What are you doing?!" she screamed, knowing the person was Zack. 

"You're not leaving. We haven't finished!" 

"Don't be an idiot! We're not going to survive!" she yelled, the sound of the flames eating away at a nearby building growing louder. 

"We haven't received command from our officer to retreat!" Max heaved him off of her, and he stood with his back to the flames, staring at her with slitted eyes. 

"Look," she hissed, trying to be heard above the sound of the flames, "I don't care what you're going to do! But, I'm not going to die! The flames are going to eat us alive in less than five minutes! We don't have time to spare!" Zack turned away. Then, with a quick glance back at Max, he ran away from her and back the way Lydecker had come. 

Max paused, and, for a moment, considered going back after him. The building Zack had ran into was quickly being eaten by the flames on the other side. She turned, shaking her head, and back up from the wall. She ran at the wall full force, and leaped, trying to climb over. To her dismay, she couldn't even make it up to the wire fencing. With the flames pressing closer, her hands were growing slick from sweat and made it even harder to climb the wall. She slid down and proceeded to jump the wall again. 

Then, in mid-run, she remembered the others. Trapped within their cells, they didn't have anyway to escape in the blaze. She couldn't leave them to die. After all, she had come back to Manticore to save them, and her work would be lost if she didn't try now. Quickly, she sprinted across the arena and dashed inside the raging building. 

  
The hallway down which Lydecker had brought her to the arena was already burning, impassable. Max turned away and hurried down an opposite hallway, praying that it was right. Indeed, after jumping across blazing beams that had fallen through the ceiling, she recognized where she was at. 

Without hesitation, she kicked the door in through the glass window and stuck her arm through to unlock it. Razor sharp glass cut her arm, sending blood dripping to the floor. The door swung open and in the smoky room, her friends lay, on their bellies, faces covered with what clothing they had, so to prevent smoke inhalation. "Max!" Zane cried, looking up from his position on the floor. "You gotta get us outta here!" 

"How?" she asked, coughing from the smoke. 

"Try to kick the door in," Tinga told her, trying to keep calm. "They open into the cells, so perhaps you can kick them in." Max squared herself up to Zane's door and backed up, then dashed towards the door, lashing out. The metal screamed as it rubbed against each other. The door did weaken slightly, but Max couldn't be so patient.   
  
Max began to panic, as the coughing of her friends and the destruction of the flames grew louder, and she flew at the door again. Just as the door was ready to fall in and free Zane, so that he could help her, there was a low whooshing sound. 

Max turned towards the sound, pausing for a split second. But, in that moment that she hesitated, the fire caught the gasoline and devoured it. Out of nowhere, a huge crash like an atomic bomb going off was heard. The wall fell in as the blazing inferno began to devour the room rapidly. Max felt herself go flying through the air, propelled by the force of the blast. 

Just before she lost consciousness with her friends screaming in the background, she wondered what Logan would think when her charred body was found. 


	33. Pain in the Ass

Backslide

Max was fortunately able to regain consciousness in the sweltering heat sometime later. The flames were nearly a blanket now, pressing down on her, ready to feast upon her flesh. Her skin resembled that of an overcooked hot dog placed over the campfire-blistering and close to bubbling. She weakly twisted her head, trying to see past her dark hair that stuck to her face. All around her lay destruction and fire. For a moment, she just wanted to die, just wanted to give in to the beckoning call from beyond. Yet, Max knew that she couldn't give up then, there was too much left for her to do. 

Slowly and rather weakly, she pushed herself to her feet and stood, dizzy for a second, regaining control of her body. Her head hurt from inhaling the smoke. There appeared to be no way out, for Max had been thrown into a heap of rumble that was now burning quickly. It was then that Max realized her only escape would be to go through the flames. Although it wasn't something she particularly wanted to do, there was no other way to escape the fiery beast. 

Combing her fingers through her hair to clear it off her face, she shook her head, ridding it of the clouds that had covered her mind. She took a deep breath and ran forward, closing her eyes. There was a moment of heat so extreme Max didn't know if she would make it. But, soon enough, she was able to feel the cooler air as she emerged from the other side of the flames. 

Her hair was singed, she no longer had any eyelashes, and her eyebrows were close to gone, but all those facts were irrelevant, for she had survived. There was an open door a couple yards ahead of her. At a quick pace, she moved towards it, ready to escape. A beam crashed down beside her, sending embers flying into the air. Max jumped back quickly. 

Just as she was at the door and ready to leave, she heard a low moan. One hand resting on the warm metal of the doorframe, she turned back around to face the fiery hell again. She scanned the room, searching for the human who had uttered the sound. Lying underneath a beam that was being eaten by the flames at one end, the person was covered in black soot and smoke. Obviously unconscious, they coughed and lay still. Max moved forward to see who it was. 

Lydecker. 

Instantly, she recoiled upon seeing it was he. Her first thought was to let him die in the flames. He deserved to, after all, hadn't he been the one to hurt her and the rest of them so much? But, as she turned away, something called her back.   
  
She couldn't leave him, no matter how entirely awful he had been to them, no matter how cruel; he couldn't die this way. With a great amount of effort, Max pushed the beam off of him and dragged him to his feet. His eyes opened a crack, but didn't register who was carrying him. He muttered a name that at first Max couldn't make out, but later recognized as, "Claudia". As his eyelids came over his eyes again, his body slumped, and Max scrambled to grab him before he fell to the ground. 

She threw one of his arms across her sore shoulders and dragged him out. But, he was dead weight and couldn't carry himself at all. So, in one fluid movement, Max picked him like a little child in her arms and walked stiffly out of the building. She had to clench her teeth-he was so heavy! In fact, she wasn't even sure she could carry him all the way. She was weak as it was, but somehow, mind over matter, she carried him.   
  
Max didn't know how far she walked, but she reached the edge of a forest before she finally felt it was safe. Slowly, she set Lydecker down by the edge of the paved road that ran by the forest. The fire wouldn't make it this far, she thought. It doesn't have enough fuel. Lydecker let out a strained gasp, but didn't move. Somebody would find him, she was sure. The fire was big enough that the somebody had to be on their way by now. 

With a dismissive eye roll, Max turned away from him and began to walk deeper into the forest, leaving him alone. My God, she thought, Donald Lydecker, you're a bigger pain in the ass than you really should be. 


	34. Kill or be Killed

Backslide

Max walked, limped more or less actually, through the thick forests. She didn't know where she was going or even where she was, for that matter. All she knew was that she had to get away from Manticore as fast as she could. 

The hot noon sun trickled through the quilted leaves above her head. Already burned, Max's skin screamed from the blistering sunlight beating down on it. She smelled like smoke and would cough every now and then to clear her lungs of the retched air. The skin on her hands where she had lifted up the beam to free Lydecker was the most damaged, being blistered and red. Max vainly hoped it would recover. 

Finally, after walking for awhile, Max slumped against a tree, grabbing a branch merely to support her. She tried to focus her stinging eyes on something, anything that would give her rest. Her head was dizzy and disoriented from the smoke inhalation. Thinking seemed nearly impossible. Coughing again, she felt herself slip out of the real world and into blackness and tumble forward into space. 

Max awoke sometime later to find herself lying in a cold creek, the water gently reviving her. Slowly, she sat up and pushed herself up on the grassy bank. She took a cupful of the icy water and splashed it on her eyes. Almost immediately, her eyes felt better, being rid of the dirty smoke that had invaded them. The water was so inviting to Max's burns that she put her scalded hands into the water and let them be soothed. Eventually, she pulled her hands out, when they were starting to become numb from the frigid water. 

Sighing, she pushed herself further up on the bank and leaned against a tree. Gazing up at the sun above, Max assumed that it had to be close to dinnertime. Her stomach growled, and she grimaced. Food was going to be trouble to find in the wilderness. Better start looking anyhow, she thought and weakly stood up. 

No sooner had she walked a couple feet, than there was a rustling noise from behind her. She froze, poised and ready to attack her next possible meal. Although, she hoped she wouldn't have to go that far. There had to be some plants or something that she could eat before tearing apart some animal. 

Turning around to face the oncoming creature, Max weakly brushed her fried hair out of her face and licked her parched and bleeding lips. She was hardly able to fight, but if she truly had to, perhaps she could. Only to save her life, of course, no other real reason. 

The creature stepped out from the thick foliage and looked around, examining the area. Max squinted, feeling the stinging feeling returning to her eyes. She could hardly see the creature that walked towards her. Then, with a shake of her head, she was able to see what was approaching her more clearly. 

Instinctively, Max tensed. She probably would have to kill this time. Kill or be killed-wasn't that it? For, the creature that was coming towards her was no one else besides Zack. 


	35. Raspy With Fear

Backslide

Zack stared at her blankly through swollen eyes. It was obvious he was in pain, but he would never fully admit it. One of his eyes was fully shut and a nasty shade of purple. The other eye was bloodshot and just staring at Max. The upper half of his top lip was torn and mangled, like hamburger almost. Favoring his right leg, he stood at a slight angle, for his left jean leg was torn, exposing his lower shin. The shin was bleeding and blackened itself, and the pant leg looked like it had been shoved through a campfire. His left wrist hung at such an odd angle that Max believed that it had to be twisted, if not, broken. Due to the angle his wrist was at, Max could see the blistered skin of his palm. All in all, it was obvious he had barely survived. 

Still, the fact that he had been weakened did not convince Max to let her guard down. He was still dangerous and could kill her if he wanted. She did though, lower her poised leg and stood with her arms bent into iron bars at her side. 

"You survived," she bit wryly. 

He nodded, agreeing with the obvious fact. "Yes, and you did too." 

"Yeah, well, we're just both too damn lucky." Zack looked away and at something in the forest that Max couldn't see. He was thinking about something, and Max wondered if he was going to snap into a flying rage as he had before. Perhaps he still believed that their fight wasn't finished. She was unable to read him. 

"Max, I-" he began. 

"What? You ready to continue the stupid fight that Lydecker set us up into? Hmm? What is it that you want?" She knew that she was probably being crueler than necessary, but some unseen devil in her was pushing her along. 

Zack sighed and stiffly crossed his arms. "I'm sorry," he told her, looking her straight in the eye. 

"Are you really? Or is Lydecker still pushing your buttons?" 

Shaking his head, he replied, "No…look…after I escaped from the fire, I realized what I had done. I mean, y'know that they say disasters can have traumatic effects on people." He paused and licked his bleeding lip. "You see things like that," he said, referring to "that" as the fire, "it touches something inside a person that nothing else can. Let's just say that in most cases like this, it would screw a person up. In my case, it 'unscrewed' me," he said with a tiny laugh. 

Tentatively, Max walked closer to him. "So, you're not going to kill me? Or even try to?" 

"No. I'm sorry for that. Lydecker, he-" 

"Yeah, he's done it to us all. Not your fault. Really, it isn't." 

"Look, I know that coming back was stupid. But I just couldn't let the others die!" he protested. 

"That's why I came back." 

"Really?" he asked, raising a singed eyebrow. 

She smiled. "And you. I couldn't believe you went back."   
  
He shrugged. "Consider it a moment of weakness." 

Max stepped closer to him and smelled the smoke that had diffused into his skin. "You're truly back, then? It's the old Zack-right?" 

"Nobody else." 

She wanted to embrace him and pour out her feelings for him. But, there was another matter of greater importance. "The others," she stated. "What happened?" 

Zack looked away from her, trying to swallow something that couldn't be. "What? What is it?!" Max nearly screeched, all of a sudden panicky and jumpy. 

"I tried-" he began. 

"What?" she repeated, her voice raspy with fear. 

He bit his lip and turned to look at her. "Max," he said softly, "Max, they're dead."   



	36. Freeing Him of the Chains

Backslide

"No," Max hissed through bared teeth. "You're lying. You have to be lying," she laughed softly. "Of course, Lydecker still has you. That's all there is to it." 

"No…" he began. 

"Yes, you have to be lying. Method of deceit-that's it, isn't it?" She was rambling, not making any sense even to herself. Zack just stared blankly at her, not sure what to say that would stop her from confusing them both. Max turned away from him and looked into the deep part of the forest where her mind could wander free. 

"Max, I-" 

"You saw them? They're really alive, and just hurt, not dead? Please, please, let that be it," she said, turning back to him. There were tears in her eyes. The reality was starting to sink in, but Max still refused to believe. She wanted to block the truth out. Yet, that was, of course, impossible. 

Zack shook his head in response to her pleading questions. What could he say that would make her feel better without lying to her? The truth hurt her, and he didn't want her to hurt. 

Max walked closer to him and stared straight into his eyes. She bit down on her quivering lip to stop the raging emotions inside. "Are you…" she paused and swallowed before taking a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself and continued. "Are you sure?" she asked, her voice barely a squeak. 

"Yes," he said quietly. She turned away from him again and had clasped one hand over her twisting mouth. "Max, I'm sorry," he told her, attempting to take away the pain. He tried to walk closer, but the sharp stabbing pain in his leg made it nearly impossible. 

Max turned back to him. Tears were dripping from her blood-shot eyes, and she tried to wipe them away and hide them. Inside, she was shaking from containing the sorrowful emotions that she didn't want Zack to see. 

"No, I should be the one who's sorry." 

"You couldn't have saved them," he argued. Max didn't respond and stood staring at the ground by his burnt feet. She furiously wiped away the tears that came out. Her left hand was clasped over the bottom half of her face, striving to block her emotions from Zack.   
  
He stepped closer to her, and this time ignored the pain in his leg. Max was more important than his pain. "Max," he said softly. She didn't respond and Zack wasn't sure if she had heard him. "Max," he repeated a little bit louder and this time gently lifted up her chin to meet her eyes. She, at first, avoided his eyes, then reluctantly, met his. "You don't have to be strong anymore." 

As if a signal, Max broke down, finally allowing herself to be totally and utterly free. She fell to the ground on her knees, sobbing. Her hands covered her face as the tears leaked out between the cracks of her aligned fingers. 

Zack stiffly knelt down beside her and watched for a moment. The pain in his leg was nearly paralyzing, but the pain Max was feeling was much more tormenting. He extended his arms out to her and wrapped them around her. 

She didn't stiffen or protest like he had expected, but pressed him close as well. The strength he had was so comforting to Max that she buried her face into the soft leather of his jacket. Tear after tear fell onto the black leather and left a trail. 

Looking up at the afternoon sun hinted with dusk, Zack felt himself begin to crumble as well. Slowly, his face began to distort until tears were running down his face and over his ragged lip. He pulled Max closer and felt her give into the sadness of the truth. She sobbed, her chest rocking back and forth as she tried to get more air. 

Finally, Zack completely broke down and rested his face on her shoulder and closed his eyes, tears being squeezed out of the corners. Everything he had hidden for so long came out. The unbearable torture of Lydecker; the knowledge of the physical pain he had bestowed upon Max; and the death of the others. All of it came tumbling out, freeing him of the chains he had been in for so long. 


	37. Tomorrow was Another Day

Backslide

They unwound themselves from each other and stared at one another before rising to their feet. "Zack…" Max said softly. 

"We'll stay here for the night," he replied with a wince as he limped over to a tree to lean on. "Lydecker's not going to come lookin' for us now. As far as he's concerned, we're dead-" 

"And you're not exactly walking anywhere, either," Max added. 

Zack smiled weakly, not liking to admit that he was weak. "Yeah, that's a problem too." 

He settled down on the ground, his face twisting as the pain shot through his body with the tightening of his muscles. With his good hand, he wiped at his lip, which pulled away the scar tissue, and the lip started to bleed again. Zack cursed and dabbed at it with the corner of his shirt. 

Max, still dressed in her Manticore uniform, turned to look at him upon hearing the curse. "You okay?" she asked. 

"I'll be fine." He looked up at her, not liking to be so far below her. It bothered him that he had to literally look up to her, but he tried to push that fact out of his mind. Max wasn't worried about ridiculous things like height and dominance order. She wasn't like that.   
  
Zack patted the grassy ground beside him, a silent request for Max to sit by him. She smiled and settled down beside him, not in as much pain as he. 

There was enough space between them to keep comfortable distance; yet, they were close enough to show that they weren't strangers either. Overhead, the shadow of the moon could barely be seen as the sky began to darken. The golden ball of the sun was sinking below the bristly treetops. All around the birds' song was dying down, giving way to the nighttime insects. The air was cool and caused tiny goosebumps to break out across the skin of Max's flesh that was covered in only a thin fabric. 

"So, you came back to save them," Max said. It wasn't question, just a simple statement. 

"I had to. I couldn't leave them here knowing that I could help. And I…" he began, then stopped. 

"You what?" Max asked. 

"Nothing. It doesn't matter." 

"Uh-huh," she replied doubtfully and let the subject drop. They sat in silence before Zack spoke again. 

"Look, Max, it's not about you. I didn't leave because of you." 

"You just said that you left for them anyhow. What are you talking about now?" 

"I know this is going to sound incredibly…ridiculous, but I was scared." 

"Scared?" Max echoed. "What could you possibly be scared of?" 

Zack ran his good hand through his hair, streaked with black soot and smoke. "You got to promise not to laugh," he told her. 

"Promise." 

"Like I said, this is going to sound incredibly tacky, like something the soap-opera guys use, but I was scared of what I was feeling. What had happened." 

"What?" she asked, not following what he was getting at. 

"At your apartment, I have never been that happy before. Never been so free. And then we…uh…well, y'know," he stammered, seemingly embarrassed. "I've never felt that way before and I couldn't bring myself to face that feeling. Cowardly, I know, but…" he laughed. "I can face men who are out to kill me, blazing fires, and lots of other bullshit, but I can't even handle my own emotions." 

"Oh." 

"I don't want to hurt you, that's all there it to it. You have no idea how awful I felt when I finally realized that you had come back to Manticore, whatever your reason." 

"It was the others, of course," she said softly. "And you." 

Zack raised a crisped eyebrow. "Me?" 

"Yes. Everybody told me that you were like this evil puppet of Lydecker's, and you'd kill me if you got the chance, but I didn't listen. I couldn't listen to them. That feeling you felt back at the apartment, I felt it too. I mean, I stood there and Tinga and Jondi and Zane, just all of them, they were telling me not to go, not to go to my death, 'cause they were certain you'd kill me." 

"Sorry." 

"Well, you didn't. But I went after you nonetheless. Stupid? Perhaps. But that's not the point. I went after you because I felt that feeling too." 

"And does 'this feeling' have a name?" he asked. 

"What do you want to call it?" 

"I think we both know very well what to call it." They turned to look at each other and without speaking a single word or even moving, they told each other. Told each other why they had done the ridiculous things they had done-risked their very lives. 

Zack spoke. "Shall we call it-" 

"Just plain stupidity?" Max asked with a sly grin. "Or, because we both know damn well what the heck it is, leave it nameless?" 

He shrugged. "Doesn't matter if it has a name or not. Names shouldn't be used to label feelings that strong." 

"I agree," Max said and rested her head on his shoulder. He smiled and wrapped a warm arm about her chilled body. It was time to rest, for tomorrow was another day. 


	38. Let Someone Help You

Backslide

The warm sunlight fell softly down on Max, waking her so peacefully that she believed it to be heaven in her sleepy state. Slowly, she came to recall the previous events and knew that heaven was not anywhere near. Blinking her eyes, she looked around, as if mentally checking to make sure she wasn't back in Manticore. 

To her amazement, she had cuddled up with Zack in the middle of the night. He was still sleeping, so Max didn't want to disturb him. Yet, the fact that he hadn't pushed her away both confused and astonished her. She would've assumed that he wanted to be left alone. Guess not, she thought and rose quietly to her feet. 

The burns on her skin were feeling better. She wanted nothing more than to go back home and change her clothes. Perhaps even sit down with a cup of cocoa, curled up in the tub with tons of bubbles. This thought brought a smile to her lips. Bliss, going home would be just that. 

She walked slowly down to the creek and brought some of the icy water to her mouth and drank. The water refreshed her parched throat and almost made life bearable at that point. Lowering herself to a sitting position, she removed her shoes and dipped her feet in. With the sun overhead scattering such warm rays, the cool water washing over her feet, and her freedom gained, Max was content with life. 

There was movement behind her and she turned to see Zack struggling to rise. It was obvious the pain in his leg made it hard for him to do too much. Standing on both feet, his left leg gave out and he toppled to the ground with a curse. 

Instinctively, Max hurried over to him, wanting to help. "Zack!" she cried. "Are you okay?" 

"I'm fine," he bit and tried to push himself up in a crude push-up. Unfortunately, he couldn't get any balance with his left leg and fell, eating the dirt again. Max scrambled to his side and grabbed his shoulder, trying to help him. 

"I said I was fine. Leave me alone," he snapped. Max recoiled, hurt and snake-bitten. She wanted to help him and give back for all the times he had helped her. Zack wouldn't accept help. Never had and it was obvious he wasn't about to start then. 

With a groan, Zack pushed himself back into a sitting position and sat, staring angrily at Max. 

"Sorry," she apologized meekly and turned back to the rushing stream. Zack sighed from behind her and attempted to rise again. 

"No, look, Maxie, you shouldn't be sorry." She turned back to look at him and he was standing, clutching a tree branch with white knuckles just so he didn't topple over again. 

"We need to get back to Seattle. Get to a hospital or something," she reasoned. 

"True, but I don't think we're going very far." He shrugged absentmindedly. "I mean, you can, but I'm gonna have to stay here." 

"Let me help you." 

"I don't need help." 

"Yes you do. Zack, you can't even walk. How the hell do you think you're going to survive out here?" 

"I'll be fine." 

"I said, 'let me help you'. We can make it back to Seattle together." Zack turned away from her and looked into the forest. He didn't want to have her help him and prove that he wasn't as strong as everyone claimed him to be. But, on the other hand, she did make a valid point-there was no way he could survive out in the forest like a cripple. He looked back at her. 

Max extended her arm, offering him her hand. Tentatively, Zack grasped onto her hand and nearly fell into her as his leg weakened again. "Here," Max offered and slipped his arm around her shoulders so that he had more support. 

Zack flinched upon taking the first step, but didn't say anything. She was so patient with him, never making any cruel comments about him and he didn't know how he could thank her enough. 

Turning to look at his face, Max smiled inside. See Zack, she said to herself, it's not so hard is it? Not so hard to actually let someone help you. 


	39. It's Me, Max

Backslide

They struggled together for some distance before Zack stopped walking totally. "What's wrong?" Max asked. 

"Where do you plan to go?" he breathed. Stumbling on one good leg and trying to support the other was becoming exhausting-even for him. 

"Back to Seattle. To a hospital, actually." 

Zack winced as the pain shot through him again. "We can head that way," he told her, pointing off to the left. "Which'll take us into Canada, I believe. Or if we go opposite, we'll go into Seattle." 

"How do you know this?" Max questioned. 

"Training. Running through the forests in the middle of the night." He shrugged. "Y'know what they say, 'practice makes perfect'." 

"We're going to Seattle." 

"You sure?" he asked, hoping that she would change her mind and go into Canada. Of course, Zack would've left by himself, but since he was unable to walk very far, he couldn't. He relied on Max for nearly everything. 

"Yes. You, most definitely, need to get to a hospital. You'll die if you don't." 

"I won't die. Quit exaggerating." 

"You will if infection sets in." 

"Oh. Seattle it is, then," he agreed sullenly. 

Finally, after much stumbling, they reached a paved road that spliced the forest in two. An old, rusty sign marked Seattle as being a couple miles away. Not a single car was heard or seen. "We should get back in the woods in case anybody sees us," Zack said. 

Max nodded and turned around into the thick green foliage. Overhead, the sun was beaming brightly, causing droplets of sweat to cling to their skin and dampen their clothes. Noisy insects would buzz about, pestering both of them and distracting them as well. 

Suddenly, Zack stopped and collapsed, barely holding himself up on a nearby tree. His face twisted in pain, and he bent stiffly down to look at his leg. "Zack! What's wrong?" Max asked, worried that something truly awful had happened. 

He shook his head with his jaw clenched firmly. The pain was so excruciating, yet he couldn't give up now. Biting the bottom of his lip, he rose slowly to his two feet. Immediately, new waves of pain covered the previous burning sensation. 

Max hurried over to him and let him drape an arm about her shoulders. "Just a little bit more," Max assured. She wasn't sure how much more he could take. Although he would certainly never admit it out loud, the pain was nearly killing him. 

It has to be bad, Max thought to herself as she nearly dragged Zack. If he's hurting that much, it has to be bad. 

They stumbled over the pebbly dirt scattered with tufts of grass for a little bit more before reaching what appeared to be the end of the forest. Max let Zack rest against a tree and hurried up the side of a steep ditch. 

A fairly busy road prevented them from going any farther. A few buildings were placed on the opposite side of the road, leading into a city. Seattle, perhaps. Neither one of them was sure. "Wait here," Max told Zack and scurried closer to the road. 

"Max-" he began, but stopped as he saw that his attempt to communicate with her had failed. He watched as she hurried across the road and walked casually into a building. What was she doing now? 

Zack tried to rise to his feet to see what she was doing. Unfortunately, he fell back down, his body riveted with pain. 

Meanwhile, inside the small gas station, Max punched numbers into the pay phone at a blinding speed. After grabbing some change from the owner who appeared to be pleased by what he saw, she shoved the coins into the slot. 

The phone rang, once, twice…four times before someone finally answered. "Hello?" the person on the other end said. They sounded tired and drugged, as if they had spent the whole night awake by using caffeine. 

"It's me, Max," she said, her voice quivering. "I need some help, Logan."   



	40. Recalling All the Events

Backslide

There was a long pause, and Max wondered if she had gotten the wrong number. Then, there was the sound of somebody swallowing like they had choked on something and couldn't quite get it down. "Max?" 

"Yes," she replied. 

"Oh my…" he began, obviously shocked beyond human belief. "I thought you were dead! I saw the fire and…" Logan paused. "You have no idea what has been going through my mind since I heard about the destruction of the building." 

"Yeah, well, I'd stay and gab, but there's a bigger issue at hand." 

"Which is what?" 

"Ok, right now I'm in this forest near the outside of Seattle, I think. I need to get to a hospital or someplace, and so does he." 

"He?" Logan asked, sounding strangely surprised. 

"Zack." 

"Oh." He paused slightly, and continued. "You want me to come and get you guys?" 

"Please?" 

"Sure, where are you?" Max looked around, trying to find a road name or anything. She saw nothing but a couple buildings, the road, and lots of trees. 

"Well, I don't have an exact place for you, but I'm at a gas station on…it looks like a main highway. Oh!" she cried, seeing the rusted sign displaying the name of the road. She rattled it off to him and in turn, he promised to be there in a couple minutes. 

Slowly, she hung up the phone and the change clanged at it rolled around inside the old machine. Max rested her pounding head against the telephone frame. This was too much. Way too much. 

Logan, who she liked, was coming to save her. Zack, who she also liked, had saved her. Yet, she wasn't sure who to be completely loyal to. There were things that she would have to decide upon based on her choice between the two men. 

Max hurried across the road and slid down the ditch. At first, she didn't see Zack in the shadows of the trees and called out his name. 

"Right here, Max," he replied. She walked in the direction of his voice. Finding him sitting at the base of a tree, she saw that he had torn off the bottom half of his left pant leg. 

"What are you doing?" she asked. 

"Nothing really." 

"Then why'd you tear your pants? I wouldn't call that nothing." 

"The fabric was irritating the burn," he stated. 

"I see," Max replied and turned away for second, hearing the rumble of the cars nearby. "Zack?" she asked, making sure he was listening. 

"Yeah?" 

"You remember Logan, don't you?" 

He looked puzzled for a second, like he wasn't sure what she was asking, but nodded his head. 

"He's going to be here in a little bit to take us into Seattle," Max told him. "Then you can get to a hospital or something so they can check out your leg." She grimaced. "It doesn't look good." 

"Really," Zack muttered, unimpressed. He was angry that Logan had to become involved. Zack didn't really like Logan, and Logan really didn't like him. They put up with each for the benefit of Max, more or less. It wasn't that they out-right hated each other, there was too much competition between the two. The prize of course, being the adoration of Max. 

"You okay?" Max asked. 

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be fine. Always have been, always will be." 

"Of course." They waited in silence before Max heard a car slowing down beside the road. She scurried up the side of the ditch and peeked over. 

Logan had parked his car over at the gas station and looking around, searching for Max. Upon seeing him, her stomach leaped into her throat with raging emotions. Ignoring the cars that ran by, Max hurried across the highway. 

"Logan!" she called out. He turned in his wheelchair to see her coming towards him. Immediately, he broke out into a smile and came towards her. 

They hugged fiercely, missing each other greatly. "My, what a long, strange journey it's been," Logan laughed quietly even though he was close to tears upon seeing Max. 

She laughed louder than he, recalling all the events that had taken place. "Couldn't be better said." 


	41. Mistakes That Can't be Undone

Backslide

Letting go of each other, Max turned towards the forest of where she had come. "I need to go and get Zack, 'cause..." she began to say to Logan, but stopped as she saw a shadowy figure coming out of the trees. 

"What the….?" Logan asked, equally as confused. Max walked across the road and saw that the figure coming out of the trees was only Zack. 

He was hardly limping. In fact, to the average bystander, he wouldn't have appeared hurt or injured at all. Yet, upon closer inspection, one could see the tiny beads of perspiration clinging to his upper lip as he bit down to avoid screaming from the pain. 

Max hurried over to him and was about to offer a helpful hand when Zack turned to her. "I'm fine," he stated, very matter-of-factly. 

"You could hardly walk a minute ago, what makes you think you can walk now?" she hissed so that Logan wouldn't hear them, despite the fact he was on the other side of the road. 

"I just can-ok? So, let's go hop into Logan's car and everything will just all fine and dandy," he told her. There was ice in his voice as he spoke, and it worried Max. 

She paused, trying to absorb yet another change in Zack's personality as he walked across the road towards Logan. Zack had gone from cold to flirting to killer to flirting again and now to cold. Would he ever just pick _something_ and stick with it? 

Quickly, Max walked across the road so any oncoming cars didn't hit her. Logan and Zack were in a stare-off. "Zack," Logan said, unimpressed. "You came back after all." 

"Yeah? Well, somebody has to lead." Logan ignored the comment and turned to Max. 

"You ready?" 

Max shrugged. "Sure, let's get going." 

After helping Logan, (with many protests from him), Max entered the car herself, sitting in the passenger seat next to him. Zack took the back seat and looked out the window, silent as usual. Logan turned onto the road and began to drive casually, not in any hurry to get home. 

"So how bad are you?" he asked Max. 

"What do you mean?" 

"Are you hurt real bad?" 

"Not too bad, no. Just a couple burns and singed hair." She shrugged. "Just cosmetic flaws, nothing too extreme." 

"That's good to hear." He paused as they turned a corner. "Did Lydecker do anything to the child?" 

"I don't know. I really don't. I mean, I'd assume so because I was taken out a couple times." 

"I guess that could be a good or bad thing-" Logan began, but stopped as the car bumped over a rather large pothole. Logan cursed quietly to himself. There was a slight squeaking sound from behind Max. 

She turned around in her seat to see Zack trying not to wince and holding his leg gingerly. With a silent look, she asked if he was all right. Zack just stared her away, regaining control of himself. 

Somewhat hurt by Zack's look, Max turned back to Logan. "Speaking of Lydecker, do you know if he survived?" Logan asked. 

Max paused before answering. "He did." 

"You're sure?" Zack spoke up for the first time, which caused even Logan to look back at him. 

"Very sure." 

"How do you know?" Logan questioned Max. 

"I saved him," she replied. Zack snorted angrily and said nothing more for the rest of the trip. Max was sure she even heard him mutter something about, "mistakes that can't be undone". 


	42. Extent of His Injuries

Backslide

Logan must've heard Zack's remark, for he said nothing more about the experience back at Manticore. Purposefully changing the subject, Logan began to talk about how well his brother's marriage was coming along. It was a senseless, mindless babble, but he didn't want to change the subject to something that would hurt Max. 

Kicking Zack out of the car and making him walk seemed like a rather good idea to Logan. People make mistakes, even if they are genetically engineered humans at that. Learn to handle it, Zack. 

As they entered the city, Max had never been so happy to see it. Despite the dirt, the filth, the wretched muck of it all, she was glad. She would've kissed Kendra's Mr. Multiples, if she could've just stayed in the city, with the promise of never going back to Manticore. "Seattle never looked so good," she remarked to Logan. 

He laughed, which caused her to laugh as well. Suddenly, the hospital whizzed by Max's window as they passed it. "Uh…Logan…the hospital's back there," she said. 

"I know." 

"Then why'd you pass it? That's where we need to go." 

"Somehow, taking two genetically engineered killing machines into the hospital and having them examine both of you just wouldn't be a good idea," he replied with a slight smile. "We're going back to my place." 

"Your place? What's there?" 

"Bling. He's had some experience as a doctor. I mean, for him to be a physical therapist, he does have medical experience. I figured he could help without squealing to the whole city." 

"Oh," Max replied and suddenly felt foolish that she hadn't thought of that. 

They drove for a little bit more before Logan turned the car into the drive reserved for those living in the complex. Bling was waiting and helped Logan out of the car and into his wheelchair. 

Max exited the car without any problem, while Zack, on the other hand, was in a great deal of pain. He would never admit to it and walked into the building without any limping. 

Bling watched him enter the building from behind. "His leg doesn't look good," he remarked. 

"No, it doesn't, but you try to examine it," Max replied. Bling laughed. 

"Yes, that is going to be a problem." 

Max, Logan, and Bling all took the elevator up to Logan's penthouse, whereas Zack took the stairs, refusing to be with them. But, by the time the threesome arrived at the door, Zack was already there, leaning casually against the wall. Logan took out the key from his pocket and unlocked the door so they could all enter. 

Bling walked over to the table where he helped Logan with his legs. There was a medical bag and a pair of rubber gloves next to it. "I heard that you two went through a pretty bad fire," Bling said to Max and Zack. Max nodded. "Well, who wants to go first?" he asked with a typical doctor's smile. 

"I will," Max replied with a slight shrug. Showing him the areas that were hurt, Bling observed those areas and treated them as necessary. 

"You're lucky that you're not hurt that badly," Bling told her. 

"That's good," Max replied. She turned to Zack who was standing, looking out the window. "Your turn." 

He looked as her cautiously. "I'm fine." 

"No, you're not. Your leg-" she began. 

"My leg is fine." 

Bling walked up to Zack. "Your leg isn't fine. I'm surprised you can even walk on something that badly damaged." 

Logan found himself holding back a slight chuckle as he watched Bling and Zack. For the first time, it appeared, there was someone besides Zack holding the authority. Bling had a good couple inches over Zack and was so much more muscular. Perhaps Zack could've struggled against Bling, but it wouldn't have been easy-especially with his leg. 

Zack glanced back at Max and then to Bling. "I'm fine. I don't need your help." 

"You're going to get my help whether you want it or not." Seeing that his choices were limited, Zack reluctantly went with Bling. 

Logan and Max waited in the living room area. "Sorry," Logan apologized. 

"For what?" 

"For not coming to save you sooner." 

"God, Logan, it's not like you could've known." 

"Still…" he began. Then, changing the subject, "Are you hungry?" 

"Starving." 

So, Logan and Max then headed into the kitchen area to determine what to eat. There were some leftovers in the refrigerator that Max willingly heated up. As they had just sat down to begin eating, Bling entered, pulling off a pair of blood-stained rubber gloves. 

"How is he?" Max asked, rising to her feet. "I know he'll never tell any of us the truth." 

"It doesn't look good. I mean, he'll survive, but he will probably have a permanent limp. At first, he wouldn't let me see, but finally I convinced him. It looks as though his whole left side is damaged to a degree. Left wrist broken, bone in his leg slightly fractured…and that leg….ouch." 

"What?" 

"It's severely burned. I put some ointment on it and gauze. Hopefully, that'll help. I'm not a real great doctor, but I think what I did will help." 

"Will he get better? You said he'll probably have a limp, but how bad?" 

"I don't think he'll be doing any extreme running, jumping...stuff like that." Bling grimaced. "The leg was pretty badly damaged. We're lucky it didn't require amputation." 

Max looked up past Bling to see Zack. He was staring right at her, with a mixture of both anger and sadness painted on his face as he heard the news, realizing the extent of his injuries. 


	43. When is it, Zack?

Backslide

After Zack had met her eyes, he turned away and headed off to another room. Max watched him leave before turning back to Logan. 

"You ok?" he asked her. 

"Yeah, I'm just worried about Zack, though." 

"What for?" 

"He…I don't know…I'm just worried 'bout him, that's all." 

"Oh," Logan replied, raising his eyebrows like he really understood. 

"Can I have some time alone with him?" Max asked Logan, even though she didn't need his permission for anything. 

Logan shrugged, not wanting to say that he really wanted Zack to just leave entirely. "Guess so," he answered acting like he didn't care, when he really did. 

"Thanks," Max said with a smile. She patted him supportingly on the shoulder. "We won't be gone long." 

"You want my coat?" Logan asked her. "It's starting to get chilly." 

"No, we'll probably only walk down to the lounge area downstairs." 

"Okay." 

Max left the room and headed out to the living room area where she found Zack staring out the window. His right hand rested on the left, fingering the gauze wrapped about it. 

Lying her hand on his, Max looked up at him. "You want to go downstairs and talk?" He shook his head slowly, continuing to stare out the window. "Well, let's just go anyhow," Max persuaded, wrapping her arm about his and gently tugging. Willingly, he followed her out of the penthouse and downstairs. 

"You shouldn't hate him," Bling said to Logan as they watched Max and Zack leave. 

"I don't hate him." 

"You don't like him then." 

"Should I?" Logan asked with a slight smile as he looked up at Bling. The other man could only shrug, not having an answer to the question Logan posed. 

Meanwhile, down in the lounge, Max had made herself comfortable on the squishy chairs. Seated next to her, Zack still couldn't look comfortable despite the luxury. 

"How bad is it?" she asked him. 

"How bad is what?" 

"Your injuries. Bling said they weren't good." 

"Yeah, well, they're not that bad." 

"Seriously, Zack," Max said sarcastically, tired of hearing his lies. 

"They're not bad. Just a little burn." 

"A little?" Max nearly yelped. "You might not have had any leg!" 

"Besides the leg." 

"How bad does it hurt?" she asked him. 

"It could be worse." He sighed. "I just hate it." 

"Hate what?" 

"The fact that I can't run, I can't leap…hell, if Lydecker wanted to, he could come after me, and I wouldn't be able to give that hard of a fight! I hate this feeling," he spat, suddenly, displaying his emotions. 

"It will get better-" Max began. 

"No, that's the thing. This won't get better. Despite the fact that I have super blood that can cure almost anything. Despite the fact I'm a genetically engineered human. Despite everything I am. Despite all that b.s…it just doesn't make it better. I'll always have a slight limp, a slight pain, even if it close to invisible, constantly reminding me. It's something I won't ever forget." 

"None of us will." 

"Yeah? You can forget about when you sleep or if you're doing something else. Even in my sleep, the fire burns me. And when I'm doing something? My leg gets in the way." He turned away and rested his knuckles over his mouth, blowing air through them. "It's going to be hard." 

"Hard to do what?" 

"Hard to walk, hard to run…moving." 

"Logan could walk after I transplanted some of my blood into him. You'll be able to walk. It's your own blood too, the body's not going to reject it." 

"I wish that were so, but I mean right now, my leg's not going to heal just like that," he replied, snapping his fingers. 

"Besides, you're not going anywhere, it'll give the leg time to heal." 

"I can't stay." 

"You're leaving?" 

"I want to stay, I really do," he said, turning back to her. "But I can't stay in Seattle anymore." 

"Are you coming back?" 

"I'll be back, eventually, yes…" 

"When?" 

"You'll know." 

"This is good-bye then?" she asked, feeling a lump rising in her throat, as she realized that he was truly leaving. 

He nodded. "I have to. If Lydecker's really alive, he'll be searching for me, thinking I'm still one of his." Zack rose to his feet and walked over to the exit. Max followed, her arms crossed loosely about her chest. 

He lingered in the doorway before opening the door to leave. They stared at each other, trying to imprint the memory of each other before he left once again. 

Max felt hot tears spring to her eyes. This time was worse than the other time he had left. Those times they had not been so intimate with their thoughts and feelings. Now, knowing how they truly felt about one another just made his leaving so hard. 

Turning away from him, she was ready to walk back up to the stairs to Logan and let everything be forgotten. Furiously, she wiped the tears away, reminding herself that it wasn't the time nor the place for weeping. 

She felt a hand upon her arm and turned to see Zack, staring at her. Perhaps he had decided to stay. They stared at each other, waiting and wondering. Suddenly, Zack bent forward and fiercely kissed her. His good hand rested on the back of her head, stroking her dark curls. Max's hand found its way to the back of his neck and rubbed it gently. It would be so long before he would see her again, and the knowledge that he was breaking them apart hurt. 

After a couple seconds, Max gently pushed him away. He looked at her closely, confused almost. "Zack, not now…I…Logan," she stuttered. He nodded and turned, leaving finally. 

She paused before turning away. The thought that he truly did care for he both astounded and confused her. Yet, it was a strange thought nonetheless. And the part where he had told her that she would know when he was coming back. When is that? she asked. When is it, Zack? 


	44. Quite so Difficult Anymore

Backslide

With heavy steps, Max trudged back to the elevator. Logan was going to be pleased that Zack had left, she knew it. But, could _she_ ever get past the fact of how much Zack really did care…and then snubbed her? 

Don't be a fool, she told herself suddenly as the elevator hummed, traveling upwards. Zack's not one for sentimental value, and you know it, don't pretend you don't. With a, "ding", the elevator doors slid open, and Max walked out, ready to face Logan. 

As always, his door was unlocked, and she hesitated before reaching for the knob. It's just Logan, she told herself, he's not going to hurt you. She briskly turned the knob and entered. 

Logan was busy reading over files in the living room area. Looking up as she entered, he smiled. Then, seeing the absence of Zack and the look upon Max's face, he frowned. "Where's Zack?" 

"Gone." 

"Gone?" he repeated, wondering what would've made "Wonder Boy Zack" run off…again. "Why?" Logan asked her. 

Max shrugged and sat down at the table across from him. "Honestly, I don't know. He just gave some reason and left. Simple as that." 

Logan shoved the loose pieces of paper into a file and looked at Max more closely. "You going to be alright?"   
  
She nodded. "It's not that big of deal, really it isn't." 

"Then why are you so upset?" 

Max looked shocked and turned away from his penetrating gaze. She could never tell Logan her true feelings for Zack, for that would be the end of their relationship completely. And, even though she wasn't sure what she felt for Logan, she couldn't risk losing whatever they had to begin with. 

Turning back to Logan, Max smiled. "That time of the month," she lied through her teeth, for Max didn't have monthly problems. Fortunately, Logan, at this time, didn't know about her heat cycles. 

"Oh," Logan replied and didn't question it any further. Female problems…not something he liked to get into. 

Max rose to her feet and stared down at Logan. "I need to get going. Y'know…check in with Original Cindy and see if I still have my job," she said with a smile. 

"True." She turned away from him and headed towards the door, ready to twist the knob and leave again. Yet, she couldn't leave just yet. 

"Logan?" 

"Hmmm?" he asked, looking up suddenly. 

"I…I want to thank you." 

"Thank me? For what?" 

"For saving my ass when it needed to be saved." 

He laughed. "No problem. Although, I haven't ever been thanked for something like that…still…" Logan laughed again. "You're welcome." 

Laughing with him, Max closed the door behind her and headed back to her apartment. Logan, watching her leave, realized she was still wearing her burned Manticore uniform. Yet, that didn't make her any less beautiful to him. God, how he wanted her, but would never admit it. With Zack gone though, that put things into a whole new perspective. 

The competition was gone and wasn't going to be back for awhile. This pleased Logan because Zack had also hurt Max slightly, therefore, pushing her closer to him, or so Logan believed. Perhaps, Logan thought to himself as he wheeled into the bedroom, perhaps life wouldn't be quite so difficult anymore. 


	45. Now and Forever

Backslide

The walk back to her apartment seemed longer than normal to Max. Perhaps it was emotions. Perhaps it was hormones. Or, perhaps life was just finally starting to invade Max's view. 

Life had just been as normal as Max could've hoped for. Sure, there was the constant threat of Lydecker, but that had eventually become part of the normality. Now, her past was dead, the people that had been her only connection to the life she once had-dead; she was confused as ever about two men she both cared for deeply; and, there was a child on the way. 

Max climbed slowly up the rickety stairs and prayed she would just be able to get a hot shower and sleep the rest of the day. She tried twisting the doorknob, but found it locked. With pained knuckles, she knocked slowly on the door. 

Original Cindy opened the door tentatively. When she saw Max standing in the doorway, the door immediately flew open, and Max was greeted in a warm embrace. "Boo!" Cindy cried as she ushered Max inside. "Where have you been?" 

Flopping down on the couch, Max sighed. "You want the full story or just the summary?" 

"No, before you tell Original Cindy anythang, you get yoself comfortable on the couch. You wanna change into some betta clothes?" 

Max smiled faintly and shook her head. "No, I'll get changed later." 

"If you insist," Cindy replied and sat down next to Max. "Please, tell Original Cindy ev'rythang. She has been worried 'bout you like crazy!" 

"Glad to know I'm still loved," Max laughed. She pulled a pillow off the arm of the couch and rested it in her lap, crossing her arms about it. "You remember how I told you about Manticore?" she asked, looking her friend straight in the eye. 

"Uh-huh." 

"Zack, and how he was like me?" 

"Rememba that too." 

Max sighed, ready to now relive everything again. "After you left, he left too without me knowing. He headed back to Manticore to save the other kids-" 

"There's othas?" 

"Yeah, if you can believe that. Anyhow, he went back and I followed. We both got ourselves captured by Lydecker. To make a long story short the building burned down and everyone but me, Zack and Lydecker died in the fire…" Max paused and swallowed, trying to keep the tears down as she remembered the rest of her friends. "Zack left for God knows where, and I'm the only one left." 

"Wait, wait, why did this Lydecker guy capture you anyhow?" 

Max paused before answering. Could she really tell her friend everything? Of course she could, Cindy knew nearly everything anyhow. 

"I'm pregnant." 

"You're what?" Cindy asked, shocked. 

"Pregnant." 

"Whose it is? If they ain't careful, Original Cindy gonna give them the smack-down-" she began, ready to defend her friend. 

"Zack's." This remark caused Cindy to stop and stare blankly at Max.   
  
"Did you say what Original Cindy thought you say, boo?" 

Max nodded mutely. "It's not like it seems though, Lydecker…he…wanted to make his own child, so he combined our cells and crap, forming this child." 

"You didn't go by your choice then?" 

"No." 

"You don't hafta keep it, you know that." 

"Cindy," Max said with a sigh. "I've been through hell and back…most literally. I've seen some pretty bad ass shit, but it only made me realize-" 

"Realize what?" 

"That I can't get rid of the baby. It stays, now and forever." 


	46. Get the Phone

Backslide

The snow fell softly outside Max's window and brushed the streaks from the smeared windowpane. She was surprised to see it snowing so early in the year. Yet, it still was the winter season, and snow could come. But snow meant cold and therefore, hot showers were mandatory. 

Her hair was longer and fell in curls down around her shoulder bones. The hot mug of cocoa she clasped between her fingers brought steam up about her face, causing a warm blush to creep across her lightly tanned skin. Sipping the cup again, Max wondered when the snow would stop so she could see what was going on outside. Probably nothing. Nothing was all that had happened for so very long, and Max yearned for some excitement in her life. 

Rising to her feet, Max stretched, placing her hands on her hips and cracking slightly as she bent backwards. Walking over to rinse out her cocoa mug, she found her feet becoming tangled in an undone shoelace. She bent down stiffly, trying to reach over her belly that had grown rather large, and attempted to tie her shoe. As she was doing so, she suddenly felt a warm wetness spread over the back of her pants. In horror, Max jerked upright, landing back on the couch. The coffee mug dropped to the floor fortunately covered with a rug, dripping the brown liquid out onto it. Max clutched a trembling hand to her stomach. It was time. 

By the time Original Cindy got home from work, Max was already seated in her own bed under the covers, gasping and sweating. "Max! What's wrong?" Cindy yelled as she hurried into the bedroom. 

"Nothing unusual, I'm fine," Max panted. 

"Nothin' wrong? You want Original Cindy to get a docta or somethang?" 

Max shook her head vigorously, causing her dark curls that were already matted down with sweat to fly like limp noodles. "Just go, please…everything will be…" she paused as another contraction hit her. She bit down on her lip and waited for it to subside. "Everything will be alright, I can assure you of that." 

"You want Original Cindy's help?" 

"I don't know how much you can help," Max replied. Suddenly, she stopped talking and grimaced. Her throat constricted as she tried to swallow. Trembling, as she pushed against the pain, Original Cindy hurried out to the kitchen to grab a towel or something that may have been some help to Max. 

Just as she had grabbed an armload of towels and was bending down to pick up a fallen one, Cindy heard the wailing shriek of a baby. Upon instinct, the towels flew to the floor, and she hurried into the bedroom. 

There, lying with a red face, Max sat in bed, clutching a bright cherry baby in her arms. The baby's light hair was plastered about its tiny face and there were tiny traces of blood on it. Screaming, the baby thrashed its arms against Max as she gently wrapped it up in the bed sheets. 

Cindy stepped forward, wanting to see the baby. It was so perfect, so utterly perfect and beautiful. Kneeling by the side of the bed, she looked up at her friend who had grown so mature in a matter of minutes. "You did it," she said with a smile. 

Max returned the smile. "Yeah, I guess you're right." She looked down at the baby. "I can't believe…I don't know what to say. I mean, it's like seeing a part of me, y'know?" 

"I guess so. Is it a boy or a girl?" 

"A girl. She looks an awful lot like…" Max began, but shook her head, not wanting to continue. Cindy knew what Max was going to say. The baby did look bear a terrible resemblance to Zack, but yet, he had done absolutely nothing for the past nine months. Max turned to Cindy. "Could you get the phone, please?" 


	47. For Max

Backslide

"No prob, boo." She exited the room and came back quicker than Max had expected with the phone. "Here ya go," she said, handing the phone to Max. 

Shifting the now quiet baby to her other arm, Max punched in the number and cradled the ringing phone between her shoulder and chin. "Hello?" she said into the phone. 

"Max?" Logan asked on the other end. "Something wrong?" 

"No, not at all. On the contrary, something is definitely right for once." 

"What is it?" 

"Can you come over here? I'm not really in much of a traveling mode right now." 

"Sure, I'll be there in a couple minutes." 

"Thanks Logan." 

"No problem," he answered and hung the phone up. 

All the way over to Max's apartment he was shaking with fear. What could be so wonderful that Max needed him to come over and view it for himself? Think Logan, think, he ordered himself. It wasn't until he parked his car and met Original Cindy at the bottom of the stairs, that he realized what it could be. 

Even though he protested like crazy, Cindy helped him up the stairs in his wheelchair, mostly just by pulling his wheelchair backwards up the stairs. Logan prayed that the stairs wouldn't fall through, and he'd be sent plummeting to his death. 

Silently, Original Cindy opened the door to the apartment and let Logan wheel himself in. "Max?" he called, unsure of where she was at in the little apartment. 

"In here, Logan." Following the sound of her voice, he wheeled over to where it had come from. 

To his shock, he found Max sitting in bed. "Max!" he cried. "What are-" he began, but abruptly stopped as Max shifted her arms to reveal a pink baby. 

"This is what is finally right." 

"Oh, my…" Logan started as he wheeled over to Max's bedside. "This is the one?" he asked, referring the baby Lydecker had created, as he gently touched the corner of the baby's blanket. 

"Yes, but it won't ever be like that. She's going to have a good life, like a normal human should." 

"That's good. What's her name?" 

"To be honest, I haven't even thought about that yet," Max admitted. "It's been crazy." 

Logan smiled, "I just hope she gets a name or your poor child will just be called, 'She' for the rest of her life." 

"I hope not!" Max laughed. 

A couple days later, Max was at Logan's house, cradling the child in her arms. Logan and she were involved in a friendly game of chess, even though he was losing terribly. Just as he was ready to place his bishop and call "check", there was a knock at the door. 

"I'll get it," Max said before Logan could answer. Handing the baby to him, she strode over to the door, sipping a glass of purple wine she had poured before the beginning of the chess game. She opened the door, and Logan froze as he heard the sound of the glass smashing into pieces of the floor. 

"Max!" he called and began to wheel himself out there. But, having one arm occupied with the baby didn't help him to move very fast. By the time he had reached the doorway leaving the work area, Max's form had already filled in the empty doorway through which he intended to exit. 

"Logan," she said very blankly. "There's someone here." 

"For me?" he asked her. 

"No," another voice answered and Max moved out of the doorway and picked up the baby from Logan, standing behind him. She cradled the child in her arms, wrapping it under a white blanket and hiding it almost. "For Max." 


	48. We Can Never Escape Ourselves

Backslide

Zack stood in the doorway, hands shoved casually into his jean pockets. His face was aged somewhat, showing the lines of stress almost, like it had been complete torture for him to leave. He walked with only a very slight limp. So slight that to a plain passerby, the limp would've been completely invisible. But, to Logan, who was looking for it, he could see that Zack hadn't recovered from the fire completely. The black leather jacket hung sloppily off of Zack's shoulders, but was still a little bit burned from the fire. Obviously, Zack hadn't the money nor time to replace it. 

"You came back," Logan said evenly. 

"I told Max I would." Zack stepped forward, wanting to see the child. "Is that it?" he asked, surprisingly nervous. 

"Yes," Max replied. "She is yours." Zack was stung by the fact that the baby Max held was part of his doing, but he held out his arms to the baby nonetheless. 

"May I see her?" With some reluctance, Max gently laid the gurgling baby in Zack's arms. "Oh my…" was the only thing Zack could say as he stroked the fine hair across the warm head of the baby. He looked up to see Max staring at him. "I'm so sorry…" he began. 

"Not now, Zack, not now," she said. 

"Why'd you come back?" Logan asked, interrupting the dynamite between Max and Zack before a fuse was lit. 

"We have to leave, now." 

"Leave?" Max nearly yelped. "But why?" 

"Lydecker. He can calculate nine months too, y'know. He's already out searching for the child as we speak. Look, Max it's not just you anymore, it's also the baby's life." 

"But I-" 

"He's right," Logan admitted. Max looked down at Logan and felt tears spring to her eyes. 

"Logan, no…" 

"You have to go…with Zack." 

"I've got a car waiting outside," Zack stated. 

"Lydecker's not going to get the baby," she assured both of the men.   
  
"Yes, he will if he wants to. A baby can't defend itself. It doesn't know how to be quiet when there's trouble or how to fight off its enemies," Logan argued. Max turned to Zack, and he nodded in agreement. 

"I'll leave…but it's only for the baby's safety, not mine." 

"Agreed," Zack said and left to go start the car up, handing the baby back to Max. 

"Logan…" she began, on the verge of tears as she saw her life begin to crumble as it had months before. This was the man who she had spent the last nine months with, as he comforted her through everything. The person who had been there for her when Zack had abandoned her. And now, she was leaving him. As much as she didn't want to admit it, the emotional pain was stinging. Crouching down next to him, she clasped his hand in hers. "I'll always be here. Don't ever think I've left you." 

"I know," he replied, his voice barely a whisper with his emotions. He laid one warm hand on the side of her voice and gently brushed away a tear. "It's for the best," he reassured her. 

"I want to believe so." Max leaned forward and felt their lips brush each other before she let herself be taken completely away in his ocean that he had to offer her. It was the last time they would ever see each other. As they pulled away, Logan felt tears trickling down his face and believed them to be from Max, but found her wiping away his own tears instead. He turned away from her and looked at the floor, trying not to cry as she left…possibly for the rest of their lives. 

"I'll always be here," she whispered and turned before exiting the room. Just as her hand came to rest on the doorknob, Logan called out. 

"What's her name?" he asked his voice choked with the sadness he was trying to hide.

Max smiled slowly, tears squeezing out of the corners of her eyes. "I've been doing some research and I chose a name that means, 'ready for battle'." 

"Fair enough, what is it?" 

"Alanza." 

  
Logan watched from high above in his penthouse as the blue Jeep Zack had snatched drove away in the snow. The red taillights seemed to laugh at him, reminding him that Zack had taken Max away. It's for the best, Logan had to remind himself. Finally, the Jeep disappeared completely in the snow, and Logan was by himself. 

Had there ever been a time he had been so completely and utterly alone? Don't con yourself Logan, he said to himself. It's not worth the time or the energy. She would've gone to him anyway, with or without the child. It's not like it really matters. 

Yet, as he put away the chess pieces, he found tears falling on Max's fingerprints as he wept bitterly for her. She would always matter even if he couldn't see her. 

Would she ever come back? Or would the only image he ever had of her be in his mind, doomed to rot and decay? 

  
The Jeep bumped over the rickety roads, and Max clutched the baby closer to her, trying to protect it. Zack would glance occasionally at both of them, not knowing what to say. He started to talk, his voice attempting to fill the empty space between them. "I'm sorry…" he began. 

"So am I," Max replied and turned away, looking out the window, as the hot tears fell off her face. She wanted to run to Zack and clasp her arms about him, while letting him know how much she had missed him in the months he was away. But, she couldn't. They were both hurting and were too proud to admit it to the other. 

Running her fingers over the baby's wispy hair, Max prayed that she would one day find the strength to truly make amends with both Zack…and Logan. 

There was nothing he could say that would remove Zack's guilt. Perhaps she would forgive him. But, first he would be required to forgive himself. 

  
Max to herself:   
_Logan, don't think I've forgotten about you so quickly. I haven't forgotten, nor will I ever forget. Just stay strong on me and don't go doing anything I wouldn't do. But, of course, there are very few things I wouldn't do. I know what you're probably thinking, that Zack's won me. No, no one has "won" me because I'm not a prize. I'm a human. I can make my own choices. So, Logan, you were always in the running as this human's choice. _

And Zack, have you already forgotten what happened between us? Don't think this child isn't yours, because it is. She's going to need a dad, and you're the most likely candidate right now. So, don't back out on me. Remember the conversation in the forest when we were both close to death? Remember "that feeling"? It's still there, but it's hiding because we're both too afraid of what will happen if it becomes released again. Don't tell me you've forgotten, because I just won't deal with it right now. As much as I may not want to admit it, I need you and you need me. 

And yet, after everything, I'm still hearing Brin's haunting words, "You escaped the backslide." Did I? Somehow, I don't think so. None of us ever will. For, you see, we are our own backslide. We bring our own victories and our own downfalls. And, we can never escape ourselves. 

The End 


End file.
